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1 

2 

3 

6 


Pre-Historic  America 


BY   THE 


MARQUIS    DE    NADAILLAC 


TRANSLATED     BY    N,  D'ANVERS 


EDITED     BY    VV.  II.  DALL 


WITH    219    ILLUSTRATIONS 


//r/^ 


NEW  YORK  &  LONDON 

G.  P.  PUTNAM'S    SONS 

(The  ,>iuithtrbotlur  ,|.)reBB 

1884 


^u 

r//^ 


63990 


COPYRIGHT   DV 

G.  P.  I'UTNAM'S  SONS 
1884 


Press  ol 

G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons 

New  York 


NOTE  BY  THE  AMERICAN  EDITOR. 


The  present  translation  of  the  Marquis  de  Nadaillac's 
'Amcrigue  Pr^historique,  published  by  Masson  in  1882,  was 
made  with  the  author's  sanction.  By  his  permission  it  has 
been  modified  and  revised  to  bring  it  into  harmony  with  the 
results  of  recent  investigation  and  the  conclusions  of  the 
best  authorities  on  the  archaeology  of  the  United  States. 

It  is  proper  to  state  that  this  has  required  a  revision  of 
the  chapters  relating  to  the  archaeology  of  North  America 
and  the  addition  to  them  of  much  new  material.  For  such 
changes  and  additions  t'le  American  editor  is  to  be  held 
responsible. 

Many  quotations  have  been  verified  by  Mr.  J.  W.  Gibbs, 
and  the  acknowledgment?  of  thc^  translator  are  also  due  for 
assistance  rendered  in  ^architectural  matters  by  Prof.  T. 
Roger  Smith  of  London  University,  and  in  other  details  by 
Dr.  Sainsbury  and  Miss  F.  E.  Judge. 

To  the  courtesy  of  the  Messrs.  Harper  &  Bros.,  the  pub- 
lishers are  indebted  for  the  opportunity  of  using  a  number 
of  illustrations  relating  to  the  archaeology  of  Peru.  These 
originally  appeared  in  Squier's  well-known  work  on  Peru, 
which  has  been  cited  as  an  authority  on  numerous  occasions 
by  the  author  of  the  present  work. 


iU 


PREFACE. 


Pre-historic  man  has  for  some  time  excited  a  justifiable 
interest  not  only  among  men  of  science  but  among  men  of 
intelligence  everywhere. 

The  first  revelations  in  regard  to  the  co-existence  of  man 
with  extinct  animals  were  received  not  only  with  surprise 
but  with  natural  incredulity.  Soon,  however,  proofs  of  such 
weight  multiplied,  that  doubt  became  no  longer  reasonable, 
and  we  are  now  able  to  assert  with  confidence  that,  at  a  period 
from  which  we  are  separated  by  many  centuries,  man  inhab- 
ited the  earth,  already  old  at  the  time  of  his  appearance. 
The  length  of  this  period  can  be  measured  by  no  chronology, 
no  calculation  can  compute  it,  history  and  tradition  are  si- 
lent with  regard  to  it ;  and  it  is  only  by  the  study  of  works 
which  may  be  almost  termed  stupendous,  and  by  the  mor.t 
careful  reasoning  that  traces  of  pre-historic  man  have  been 
followed  up  through  an  almost  fabulous  past  and  some  idea 
has  been  gained  of  the  rude  pioneers  who  were  the  ances- 
tors of  the  human  race.  With  some  probability  Asia  has 
been  fixed  upon  as  the  prima;val  cradle  of  humanity,  from 
which  by  successive  migrations,  during  an  incilculable 
period,  man  spread  to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  Old  World. 

At  an  epoch  not  far  distant,  men  probably  derived  from 
the  same  source,  made  their  appearance  in  the  New  World, 
wandering  on  the  shores  of  either  ocean.  Like  their  nomad 
contemporaries  of  the  other  hemisphere  they  knew  no  shelter 
save  that  afforded  by  nature  in  her  forests  and  rocks. 
Rudely  shaped  stones  served  them  alike  for  tools  and 
weapons  and  their  social  condition  was  paralleled  by  that 
known  for  their  European  contemporaries  under  the  name 
of  the  Stone  age.     In  accordance  with  a  universal   law  of 


-r-rrr 


vl 


PREFACE. 


Nature  now  well  recognized,  men  alike  in  habits,  physique, 
and  mental  culture,  though  in  the  midst  of  most  diverse  con- 
ditions of  fauna,  flora,  and  climate,  were  traversing  the  forests 
of  India  and  the  frigid  regions  of  the  north,  chasing  the  rein- 
deer or  the  bear  on  the  banks  of  the  Delaware  or  the  Miss- 
issippi as  well  as  along  the  Thames  or  the  Seine. 

Nor  is  this  all ;  the  inhabitants  of  distant  continents 
passed  through  strictly  analogous  phases  of  culture.  The 
nomads  were  succeeded  by  sedentary  tribes  who  settled  by 
the  banks  of  rivers  or  the  shores  of  ocean,  wherever  the 
bounty  of  the  waters  afforded  the  subsistence.  Shell-heaps 
and  kitchen  middens  bear  witness  to  the  long  duration  of 
their  sojourn.  Centuries  passed,  new  wants  were  felt, 
aesthetic  feeling  awoke,  and  here  and  there  the  stimulus  to 
progress  did  not  fail.  Social  life  had  taken  on  a  communal 
garb  and  the  common  needs  led  to  united  effort  for  their 
satisfaction.  Mounds,  tumuli,  pyramids,  arose,  and  earthen 
structures  in  whose  form  the  savage  often  embodied  the 
animal  outlines  associated  with  his  myths  or  ceremonials. 
In  other  regions,  probably  later,  another  form  was  taken  by 
the  outward  symbols  of  social  structure,  resulting  in  bee- 
hive-like pueblos.  Threatened  bj'  dangers  soon  to  be  ever 
present  they  sought  for  refuge  in  the  recesses  of  the  cliffs, 
conquering  difficulties  of  construction  which  appear  almost 
insurmountable  to  our  eyes.  Towns  and  monuments  arose 
of  which  the  imposing  ruins  still  bear  witness  to  the  skill  of 
those  whose  very  existence  has  been  but  recently  made 
known. 

Although  mounds  and  cliff-houses,  ruins  and  temples,  de- 
termine no  dates  of  erection  or  names  of  the  builders,  yet 
through  them  we  may  become  acquainted  with  the  essentials 
of  the  manners,  habits,  and  mental  culture,  of  the  ancient  in- 
habitants of  America.  We  are  able  to  conclude  that  at  the 
time  of  the  first  European  invasion  the  civilization  of  the 
Americans,  the  slow  growth  of  ages,  was  in  some  respects 
not  inferior  to  that  of  their  conquerors. 

In  "  Lis  premiers  houimcs  et  les  temps  pnfhistoriques"  I  have 


PREFACE. 


vii 


described  the  Stone  Age  of  Europe  and  the  early  resting- 
places  of  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  the  Old  World.  The 
good-will  with  which  that  work  was  received  has  led  me  to 
supplement  it  by  tracing  the  analogous  period  in  America, 
seeking  the  first  evidences  of  a  culture  parallel  to  our  own 
and  bringing  the  recital  down  to  the  sixteenth  century  of  our 
era. 

My  task  has  been  facilitated  by  the  numerous  investiga- 
tions undert  .ken  in  the  United  States.  There,  many  so- 
cieties devote  themselves  to  the  study  of  aboriginal  antiqui- 
ties, museums  exist  already  containing  a  wealth  of  material ; 
excavations  are  carried  on  with  an  energy  and  perseverance 
justly  commanding  admiration.  Success  has  crowned  these 
efforts,  every  day  bringing  to  light  the  most  remarkable  dis- 
coveries, the  most  unexpected  results. 

These  researches  and  discoveries  it  is  my  desire  to  make 
widely  known,  but,  as  I  have  said  elsewhere,  and  now  repeat, 
the  state  of  archaeology  is  such  that  however  great  the  im- 
portance of  the  facts  revealed  by  it,  we  cannot  regard  our 
present  conclusions  from  them  as  final.  Nothing  has  been 
more  injurious  to  science  that  the  ephemeral  popularity  of 
hypotheses  which  the  revelations  of  a  day  have  sometimes 
overturned.  As  was  lately  said  by  Virchow,  **  when  we 
know  as  little  as  we  do  yet,  it  behooves  us  to  be  modest  in 
our  theories." 

Our  present  lack  of  information,  however,  is  stimulating 
rather  than  prejudicial  to  archaeological  study.  For  my  part 
I  know  no  grander  spectacle  than  the  onward  march  of 
human  progress.  Every  fact  won,  every  stage  accomplished, 
becomes  the  starting  point  of  fresh  acquirement,  of  further 
progress  which  will  ever  be  the  glorious  heritage  of  future 
generations.  A  yet  more  elevating  sentiment  results  from 
these  studies  which  is  a  profound  gratitude  toward  Him  who 
created  man,  who  made  him  capable  of  such  progress  and 
granted  him  such  potentiality  of  mind.  Science  in  its  free- 
dom and  its  strength  cannot  disown  its  author. 

Paris,  October  7,  1882. 


CONTENTS. 


otArrsK 
I. 

II. 

III. 

IV. 
V. 


VI. 

VII. 

VIII. 

IX. 

X. 

Appendix 

Index 


Man  and  the  Mastodon     . 

The  Kitche.,.Middens  and  the'cav'es 

The  Mound  Builders  . 

Po-TERv,  Weapons,  and   Ornaments   o.' 

THE  Mound  Builders 
The   Cliff   Dwellers  and   the   Inhabi* 

TANTS  OF  THE   PUEBLOS 

The  People  of  Central  America 
The  Ruins  oe  Central  America 
Peru 

The  Men  of  America  .       [ 
The  Origin  of  Man  in  America 


I 

46 
80 

^33 

198 
260 
317 

387 
476 

Si8 
S33 
539 


f 


CHAPTER  T. 


MAN   AND   THE   MASTODON. 


The  existence  of  the  American  continent  vas  unknown  to 
the  Egyptians  and  the  Phoenicians,  as  well  as  to  the  Greek:; 
and  Romans.  We  find  nothing  in  llie  writings  either  of 
historians  or  of  geographers  to  justify  the  assertion  that  the 
ancients  even  suspected  the  existence  of  a  vast  continent 
beyond  the  Atlantic,  and  a  few  vague  statements,  a  few  bold 
guesses,  interpreted  later  with  the  help  of  accomplished 
facts,  cannot  be  accepted  as  evidence.  M.  De  Guignes  has 
endeavored  to  prove  that  intercourse  took  place  between 
China  and  America  as  early  as  the  fifth  century  of  our  era' ; 
according  to  legends  in  which  a  little  truth  is  mingled  with 
much  fiction,  Northmen  landed  in  New  England  about  A.D. 
looo  ;  and  in  maps  dating  from  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth 
centuries,  continents  and  islands  of  uncertain  outline  are 
for  the  first  time  represented  beyond  the  ocean.  The 
Eskimo  passed  freely  from  one  continent  to  another  in  the 
circumpolar  regions,  but  they  were  themselves  as  entirely 
unknown  as  the  other  inhabitants  of  America.  In  the  course 
of  the  present  work  we  shall  examine  into  the  question  of 
the  relations  which  may  have  existed  between  the  Old  World 
and  the  New,  but  shall  content  ourselves  at  present  with 
saying  that  the  first  positive  information  about  the  new 
countries  and  their  mysterious  people  dates  only  from  tiie 
fifteenth  century.  Side  by  side  with  the  glorious  name  of 
Christopher  Columbus,"  we  must  place  those  of  Jacques  Car- 

'  These  fables  arose  from  early  voyages  of  the  Chinese  to  Korea  and  Japan, 
exaggerated  accounts  of  which  were  misunderstood  by  students  of  ancient 
Chinese  literature. 

'  Christopher  Columbus  left  Palos,  near  Seville,  on  the  3d  of  August,  1492, 
«nd  on  the  14th  of  the  following  October  landed  on  the  island  of  Samana. 

I 


I 


2  PKF.-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 

tier,  John  and  Sebastian  Cabot,  Amerigo  Vespucci,  Magellan,. 
Pizarro,  and  especially  Fernando  Cortes,  as  the  first  to 
establish  the  supremacy  of  European  civilization  in  the  New 
World. 

Cortes  disembarked  at  the  mouth  of  the  little  river  Tabas- 
co, on  the  shore  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  fought  two 
successive  battles  with  the  Indians,'  who  ventured  to  oppose 
his  passage.  The  second  battle,  which  was  bloody  and  long 
contested,  took  place  on  the  i8th  of  March,  15 19.  Victcry 
remaii.cd  with  the  Spaniards,  and  Cortes  erected  upon  the 
soil  of  America  his  great  standard  of  black  velvet  embroid- 
ered with  gold,  having  in  the  centre  a  red  cross  surrounded 
by  blue  and  white  flames,  bearing  the  following  inscription 
in  Latin  :  "  Friends,  let  us  follow  the  Cross,  and  if  we  have 
faith  in  that  sign  we  shall  conquer."  This  was  Europe's 
Act  of  Appropriation  ;  from  that  moment  her  fortunes  and 
those  of  the  New  World  have  been  indissolubly  united." 

'  Columbus,  imbued  with  the  ideas  of  his  time,  supposed  tlie  l.ind  he  saw- 
stretching  before  him  to  be  the  coast  of  India,  hence  tlie  name  of  the  West 
Indies,  and  that  of  Indians  still  given  to  the  natives  of  America,  as  if  posterity 
had  felt  it  a  point  of  honor  to  perpetuate  the  illusion  of  the  great  navigator. 

'  Pre-historic  America  has  been  discussed  by  numerous  writers.  A  mere 
list  of  them  would  fdl  a  long  bibliography  :  we  will  only  name  :  Atwater's 
"  Description  of  the  Antiquities  of  Ohio  "  ;  the  publications  of  the  Smithsonian 
Institution,  including  the  work  of  Squier  and  Davis  on  "Ancient  Monuments 
of  the  Mississippi  Valley  "  ;  the  researches  of  Dr.  Chas.  Uau,  and  those  of  Dall, 
on  pre-historic  remains  in  the  Aleutian  islands  ;  Squier's  "  Antiquities  of  the 
State  of  New  York,"  and  Lapham's  "  Antiquities  of  Wisconsin  "  ;  Schoolcraft's 
"Historical  and  Statistical  Information  Respecting  the  Indian  Tribes  of  the 
United  States,"  in  six  volumes  ;  Baldwin's  "  Ancient  America  "  ;  Wilson's"  Pre- 
historic Man  "  ;  Waldeck's  "  Voyage  au  Yucatan  "  ;  Charnay's  "  Cites  et  Ruines 
Americaincs,"  with  a  preface  by  VioUetle  Due  ;  Stephens'  "  Incidents  of  Travels 
in  Central  America,"  in  two  "ol-.-mes  ;  Prescott's  "  Conquest  of  Mexico  "and 
"Conquestof  Peru  ";  Jones' "  Antiqiities  of  the  Southern  Indians  "  ;  Morton's 
"Crania  Americana"  ;  Nott  and  Gliddon's  "Types  of  Mankind  "  ;  Foster's 
"Prehistoric  Racns  of  the  Uniied  States  " ;  Brasseur  de  Bourbourg's  "  His- 
toire  des  Nations  Civilisees  du  Mexique  et  de  1'  Amerique  Centrale,"  in  four 
volumes  ;  Southall's  "  Recent  Origin  of  Man  "  ;  Short's  "  North  Americans  of 
Antiquity";  Tylor's  "Researches  into  the  Early  History  of  Mankind"; 
Squier's  "  Peru  ";  his  "  Incidents  of  Travel  and  Exploration  in  the  Land  of  the 
Incas"  ;  and  the  important  work  of  H.  H.  Bancroft,  on  "The  Native  Races, 
of  the  Pacific  States  of  North  America,"  in  five  volumes. 


MA  AT  AND   THE  MASTODON. 


In  the  sixteenth  century  America  was  inhabited  from  the 
Arctic  Ocean  to  Cape  Horn,  from  the  shores  of  the  Atlantic 
to  those  of  the  Pacific,  by  milHons  of  men  of  types  analogous 
to  and  with  characteristics  as  varied  as  many  of  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  Old  World.  Amongst  them  were  to  be  found 
numerous  shades  of  complexion,  from  the  ruddy  white  of 
the  inhabitants  of  the  Cordillera  of  the  Andes,  of  the  Amazon 
valley,  or  of  the  island  of  Santa  Cathcrina,  to  the  much 
darker  tint  of  some  of  the  tribes  of  California  and  Florida, 
of  the  natives  of  the  island  of  St.  Vincent,  or  of  the  Charruas 
dwelling  on  the  southern  banks  of  the  Rio  de  la  Plata.'  The 
Eskimo  of  the  north  were  short ;  the  Patagonians  of  the 
south  were  remarkable  for  their  lofty  stature."  Some  Indian 
tribes  had  slender  limbs  with  small  hands  and  feet ;  others 
were  robust  and  stoutly  built.  Some  had  round  heads, 
whilst  in  others  the  dolicho-cephalous  ^  form  was  pronounced. 
Some  had  an  abundant  crop  of  hair,  others  scarcely  any  ; 
some  shaved  their  heads,  others  let  their  hair  grow  long.  It 
would  take  a  long  time  to  enumerate  all  the  differences  of 
type  and  race  met  with  by  Europeans  when  they  first  arrived 
on  the  American  continent.  The  native  Americans  lived 
among  mammalia,  birds,  fish,  and  reptiles  mostly  unknown 
in  Europe.  In  the  south  the  Llama*  was  their  chief  do- 
mestic animal ;  they  used  it  as  a  beast  of  burden,  ate  its 
flesh,  clothed  themselves  with  its  wool.  Oxen,  camels,  goats, 
horses,  and  asses  were  unknown  to  them.  The  European 
dog,  our  faithful  companion,  also  appears  to  have  been  a 
stranger  to  them.'     His  place  was  very  inadequately  filled 

'  Nott  and  Gliddon's  "  Types  of  Mankind  "  ;  Broca,  Pruner  Bey,  Bull,  Soc. 
Anth.,  1862  ;  Ameghino,  "  La  Antiguedad  del  Hombrc  en  el  Plata,"  vol.  i,, 
p.  71. 

'  Topinard,  Hev.  J"  Anth.,  1878,  p.  511. 

»  From  doXlXOi  long,  and  xetpaXtJ  head. 

*  The  Llama  (Auchenia)  is  a  ruminant  of  the  family  of  the  Camtlidce,  It  re- 
sembles the  camel  in  the  peculiar  structure  of  its  stomach,  and  is  a  native  of  the 
regions  on  the  slopes  of  the  Cordillera  of  the  Andes.  The  Guanaco  and  the 
VicuAa  are  species  of  the  same  group. 

'  Certain  kinds  of  dogs  were,  however,  domesticated  in  America.  They 
were  called  Xulos  in  Nicaragua,  Tzomes  in  Yucatan,  and  Techichis  in  Mexico. 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


I   I 


J 


by  the  coyote,'  or  prairie  wolf,  which  they  kept  in  captivity 
and  had  succeeded  in  taming  to  a  certain  extent.  The  large 
feline  animals  were  represented  by  the  jaguar,"  the  lynx,' 
the  puma,*  the  habitat  of  which  extended  from  Canada  to 
Patagonia  ;  and  the  ocelot,'  frequenting  Mexico  and  part  of 
South  America.  The  bears  were  represented  by  the  little 
black  bear'  and  by  the  grizzly  bear,'  both  of  which  differ  in 
many  important  characters  from  any  which  could  have  been 
previously  known  to  the  Spaniards.  Even  the  monkeys,  so 
numerous  in  South  America,  were  quite  unlike  those  of  the 
Old  World.  All  had  long  prehensile  tails,  sugh  as  are  not 
possessed  by  European  or  African  monkeys. 

The  differences  in  the  flora  were  not  less  marked.  The 
trees  were  generally  of  species  foreign  to  Europe  and  Asia. 
Maize  was  the  only  cereal  cultivated  in  the  New  World, 
though  the  so-called  "wild  rice"  was  harvested  in  North 
America.  Wheat,  rye,  barley,  oats,  millet,  and  rice  were 
unknown  to  the  Indians.  On  the  other  hand,  they  had 
a  leguminous  plant,  the  manioc,  different  from  any  European 
vegetable,"  tobacco,"  tomatoes,  and  peppers — all  valuable 
acquisitions  to  civilization. 

These  were  consideied  to  afford  very  delicate  food  after  having  been  castrated 
and  fattened. 

'  Canis  latrans,  Baird.  In  a  description  of  Virginia  published  in  1649,  we 
read:  "  The  wolf  of  Carolina  is  the  dog  of  the  woods.  The  Indians  had  no 
other  curs  before  the  Christians  came  amongst  them.  They  are  made  domestic. 
They  go  in  great  droves  in  the  night  to  hunt  deer,  which  they  do  as  well  as  the 
best  pack  of  hounds." 

"  Felis  onai,  Linnfcus,  a  native  of  South  America. 

'  Lynx  canadensis,  Raf. ,  known  also  under  the  name  of  loup-cervier  or  wild- 
cat ;  its  skin  formed  one  of  the  objects  of  trade  by  the  Hudson  Bay  Company. 
The  natives  are  said  to  eat  its  flesh,  which  is  white  and  insipid. 

•  Felis  coiicolor,  Illiger, 

'  Felis pania lis,  Linnaeus. 

•  Ursits  Americanus,  native  to  North  America. 

'  Ursus  ferox.  It  could  easily  drag  off  a  buffalo  weighing  more  than  a  thou- 
sand pounds.  Some  twenty  years  ago  this  bear  was  still  pretty  common  in  Cal- 
ifornia.    The  Indians  hunted  and  overcame  it  with  the  help  of  their  lassos. 

"  The  roots  of  the  manioc  yield  a  starch  known  under  the  name  of  tapioca. 

•  It  is  said  that  tobacco  was  first  imported  into  Europe  in  1588  by  Sir  Walter 
Raleigh. 


li 


MAN  AXD    THE  MASTODON.  5 

The  Indians,  who  were  successively  conquered  by  foreign 
invaders,  spoke  hundreds  of  different  dialects.  Bancroft 
estimates  that  there  were  six  hundred  between  Alaska  and 
Panama  : '  Amcghino '  speaks  of  eight  hundred  in  South 
America.  Most  of  these,  however,  are  mere  derivatives  from 
a  single  mother  tongue  like  the  Aymara  and  the  Guarani. 
We  quote  these  figures  for  what  they  arc  worth.  Philology 
has  no  precise  definition  of  what  constitutes  a  language,  and 
any  one  can  add  to  or  deduct  from  the  numbers  given 
according  to  the  point  of  view  from  which  he  considers  the 
matter.  As  an  illustration  of  this,  it  may  be  mentioned  that 
some  philologists  estimate  the  languages  of  North  America 
at  no  less  than  thirteen  hundred,  whilst  Squier '  would 
reduce  those  of  both  continents  to   four  hundred, 

These  dialects  present  a  complete  disparity  in  their  vocab- 
ular\'  side  by  side  with  great  similarity  of  structure.*     "  In 

'"Native  Races,"  vol.  III.,  p.  557.  These  dialects  maybe  divided  into 
numerous  distinct  groups,  of  which  four  particul.irly  characteristic  families  may 
be  mentioned.  I.  The  Innuit  or  Eskimo,  which  differs  strongly  from  the 
other  American  languages  ;  2.  The  Tinneh,  spoken  in  the  Rocky  Mountain 
region,  and  exteiuimg  into  .Maska,  the  British  possessions,  Oregon,  California, 
New  Mexico,  and  Texas  ;  3.  The  Aztec  or  Nahua,  which  is  widely  spread 
throughout  Central  America.  The  remarkable  poems  of  Nezahualcoyotl,  king 
of  Tezcueo,  are  written  in  this  language.  Lastly  the  Maya-Quiche,  probably 
the  most  ancient  language  of  Central  America,  which  predominated  in  Yucatan, 
Chiapas  and  Guatemala,  The  Indians  of  Yucatan  are  said  to  speak  it  to  this 
day,  and  Sei'ior  Orozco  y  Berra  tells  us  that  all  the  geograpliical  names  of  the 
peninsula  are  of  Mnya  origin  ("  Geog.  de  las  Lenguas  de  Mex.,"  p.  129), 

'"  I, a  Antiguedad  del  Ilonibre,"  vol  I,,  p.  77.  Senor  Ameghino  notes  the 
curious  fact  tliat  amongst  certain  tribes  the  women  speak  a  dialect  distinct  from 
that  of  the  men.  It  is  more  likely  that  tiie  sexes  merely  express  themselves  in 
a  dilTerent  maimer. 

'Nott  and  Gliddon,  "  Types  of  Mankind."  Sijuier  asserts  that  one  hundred 
and  eighty-seven  words  of  these  four  hundred  dialects  are  common  to  foreign 
languages  ;  one  hundred  and  four  occur  in  Asiatic  or  Australian,  forty-three  in 
European,  and  forty  in  African  languages.  This,  however,  requires  further 
confirmation. 

'Bancroft,  vol.  III.,  p.  556.  "  Other  peculiarities  common  to  all  American 
languages  might  be  mentioned,  such  as  reduplications,  or  a  repetition  of  the 
same  syllable  to  express  plurals ;  the  use  of  frequentatives  and  duals  ;  the 
.ipplication  of  gender  to  the  third  person  of  the  verb  ;  the  direct  conversion  of 
nouns,  substantive  and  adjective,  into  verbs,  and  their  conjugation  as  such  ; 


^) 


i.-«w.*r.».—-». 


I     I 


M 


O  PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 

America,"  says  Humboldt,'  "  from  the  country  of  the  Esqui- 
maux to  the  banks  of  the  Orinoco,  and  thence  to  the  frozen 
shores  of  the  Straits  of  Magellan,  languages  difTering  entirely 
m  their  derivation  have,  if  we  may  use  the  expression,  the 
same  physiognomy.  Striking  analogies  in  grammatical  con. 
struction  have  been  recognized,  not  only  in  the  more  perfect 
languages,  such  as  those  of  the  Incas,  the  Aymara,  the  Guarani, 
and  the  Mexicans,  but  also  in  languages  which  are  extremely 
rude.  Dialects,  the  roots  of  which  do  not  resemble  each 
other  more  than  the  roots  of  the  Sclavonian  and  Biscayan, 
show  resemblances  in  structure  similar  to  those  which  are 
found  between  the  Sanscrit,  the  Persian,  the  Greek,  and  the 
Germanic  languages."  These  languages  arc  polysynthctic" 
and  agglutinative,'  which  generally  indicates  a  rudimentary 
state  of  culture.  They  were,  however,  rich  enough  to  indi- 
cate that  there  was  not  a  total  absence  of  intellectual  devel- 
opment.* Their  diversity  may  be  accounted  for  by  the  con- 
stant crossing  of  races,  migrations,  and  by  the  new  cus  oms 

peculiar  generic  distinctions  arising  from  a  separation  of  animate  from  inani- 
mate beings." 

'Quoted  by  Pritchard,  "Natural  History  of  Man,"  4th  edition,  vol,  II., 
p.  496. 

'Gallatin  ("Trans.  Am.  Ethn.  Soc.  ,"vol.  I.)  defines  a  polysynthetic  language 
as  one  in  which  all  that  modifies  the  subject  or  the  action,  or  still  more  several 
complex  ideas  having  a  natural  connection  with  each  other,  is  expressed  by  a 
single  word.  The  Aztec  langu.igc  is  one  of  the  most  curious  of  this  kind. 
Take,  for  instance,  the  word  Amatlacuilolitquitcatlaxlahuilli,  which  means, 
"  Payment  received  for  having  been  bearer  of  a  paper  with  writing  on  it."  On 
p.  34  Gallatin  gives  the  longest  word  in  the  Cherokee  language — Winitawtgegi- 
nallskawlungtanawnelitisesti,  which  translated  into  English  means  :  ' '  They  will 
by  that  time  have  nearly  done  granting  (favors)  from  a  distance  to  thee  and  to 
me. 

*  An  agglutinative  language  is  one  in  whic'i  new  words  are  formed  by  joining 
roots  together  without  changing  their  construction.  Ameghino  in  his"An- 
tiguedad  del  Hombre,"  vol.  I.,  p.  7O,  s.iys  :  "  casi  todas  las  Icnguas  Ameri- 
canas  son  polisilabicas  o  .iglutinativas,  es  decir  que  difieren  esencialmente  del 
}^rupo  de  lenguas  monosilabicas  del  Asia  oriental  y  de  las  lenguas  a  flexion  que 
liablan  los  pueblos  arianos." 

*  We  cannot  agree  with  Canon  Farrar's  opinion,  that  the  richness  which  has 
been  admired  in  the  aboriginal  American  languages  is  only  a  means  of  hiding 
their  real  poverty  ("  Families  of  Speech,"  London,  1873,  pp.  124  et  seq.). 


MAN  AND    THE  MASTODON. 


7 


;  Esqui- 
e  frozen 
entirely 
lion,  the 
;ical  con. 
c  perfect 
Guarani, 
xtremely 
ible  each 
Biscayan, 
vhich  are 
:,  and  the 
;ynthetic " 
iimentary 
h  to  indi- 
ual  devel- 
y  the  con- 
w  cus  cms 

te  from  inani- 

ion,  vol.  II.. 

letic  language 
more  several 
xpressed  by  a 
of  this  kind, 
which  means, 
g  on  it."  On 
Winitawtgegi- 
"  They  will 
to  thee  and  to 

Tied  by  joining 
in  his  "  An- 
nguas  Ameri- 
ncialmente  del 
s  a  flexion  que 

ness  which  has 
neans  of  hiding 
4  et  seq:). 


and  ideas  which  gradually  become  introduced  even  amongst 
the  most  degraded  peoples ;  still  more  by  the  well-recognized 
instability  and  mobility  of  many  aboriginal  languages.  Some 
missionaries  say  they  have  found  the  language  of  tribes, 
revisited  after  an  absence  of  ten  years,  completely  changed 
in  the  interim.' 

The  differences  in  culture  of  the  American  aborigines 
were  hardly  less  remarkable.  These  need  not,  however,  sur- 
prise us,  for  at  the  same  period  equally  radical  differences 
existed  among  European  races, — differences,  indeed,  which 
are  still  maintained  in  spite  of  constant  intercommunication. 
Some  of  the  American  races  were  rich,  industrious,  and 
agricultural ;  they  had  an  organized  government,  towns,  laws, 
a  religious  system,  and  a  powerful  priesthood.  In  reporting 
to  the  Emperor  Charles  V.  on  a  reconnoissance  made  in  the 
province  of  Ouacalco,  Cortes  stated  that  the  river'  was 
dotted  on  either  side  with  numerous  large  towns.  "  The 
whole  province  is  level  and  well  fortified,  rich  in  all  the  pro- 
ductions of  the  earth."  '  His  verdict  was  equally  favorable 
in  many  other  particulars. 

Side  by  side  with  these  people,  who  may  best  be  compared 
with  the  ancient  nations  of  Asia,  dwelt  other  aborigines,  pre- 
senting a  complete  contrast  to  their  neighbors ;  sedentary 
tillers  of  the  soil,  living  in  communities,  in  pueblos  resem- 
bling bee-hives  in  their  arrangement ;  the  Algonquins  and 
the  Apaches,  nomad  savages  living  on  grasses  and  roots 
when  the  chase  and  fishing  failed  them  ;  the  Aleutians,  dis- 
figured by  hideous  tatooing,  chasing  the  sea  otter  in  ingen- 
ious canoes  of  seal-skin,  fabricating  delicate  tissues  out  of 
such  materials  as  grass-fibres  and  feathers,  and  deriving  their 
entire  subsistence  from  the  products  of  the  sea. 

Some  of  these  people  venerated  animals,  such  as  the  ser- 
pent and  the  owl ;  in  Honduras  it  was  the  tiger,  in  Vancouver 

'  Dr.  Carl  GUttler,  "  Naturforschung  und  Bibel,"  Freiburg  im  Ureisgau,  1877. 

'  The  Coatzacoalcos,  a  river  of  the  isthmus  of  Tehuantepec,  at  the  southern 
extremity  of  the  province  of  Vera  Cruz. 

*  Carta  Segunda  de  relacion  ap.  Lorenzana,  Folios  91,  92.  Published  at 
Mexico,  1700. 


iwiMiin^  r-f-:  4.'  jii>lifc 


(      ' 


8 


PRE-HISTOKIC  AMEKICA. 


\    ! 


Island  the  squirrel,  which  was  connected  with  religious 
myths.  Nor  was  this  the  extreme  limit  of  human  degradation; 
among  certain  Californian  tribes  men  and  women  wandered 
about  stark  naked,  recognizing  neither  laws,  Gods,  nor 
chiefs,  and  owning  no  shelter  but  that  of  some  lofty  tree,  or 
the  cave  for  which  they  competed  with  the  wild  beasts. 

No  less  striking  were  the  contrasts  in  South  America ; 
side  by  side  with  the  Peruvians,  the  richest  and  most  cul- 
tured  people  of  the  two  Americas,  the  barbarous  Oucran- 
dis  occupied  the  territory  now  forming  the  Argentine  Repub- 
lic. On  the  2d  of  February,  1535,  Don  Pedro  de  Rlendoza 
landed  at  the  mouth  of  the  Riachuelo,  where  he  founded  the 
city  of  Santissima  Trinidatl  de  Huciios  Ayres,  One  of  his 
companions  has  written  an  account  of  his  expedition,'  and  of 
his  lon^  struggle  with  the  savages  w  ho  had  nothing  but  stone 
weapons,  slings  with  which  they  flung  their  bolas,  and  the 
lassos  so  formidable  in  their  hands.  Even  less  civilized  were 
the  vast  deserts  of  the  extreme  South,  overrun  as  they  were 
by  savage  nomad  tribes,  disputing  with  each  other  and 
with  wild  beasts  for  subsistence  and  shelter. 

Si  ch  were  the  people  upon  whom  the  Europeans  swxpt 
down  as  upon  a  prey  given  over  to  their  desires.  While 
Cortes  w.'s  subjugating  Central  America,  and  Pizarro  was 
overturning  the  throne  of  the  Iiicas,  parties  led  by  Mendoza, 
Solis,  Gaboto,  and  Cabc^a  de  Vaca  ascended  the  Rio  de  la 
Plata,  the  Paraguay,  and  the  Parana,  their  courage  and 
energy  winning  for  Spain  the  magnificent  colonial  empire 
which  she  retained  until  the  nineteenth  century.  Why  was  it 
necessary  that  their  glory  should  have  been  stained  by  foul 
cruelty  and  gloomy  fanaticism  ? 

The  Portuguese"  were  no  less  active,  and  the  two  nations 

'  A  German  soldier,  Ulrich  Schmidt,  who  took  part  in  the  expedition,  has 
given  a  very  interesting  account  of  it,  wiiich  was  printed  at  Franiifort-on-the- 
Main  in  1567,  under  the  title  of  "  Warhafflige  und  liebliche  lieschreibunge  el- 
licher  furnemen  Indianischen  LandtschafTten  und  Indsulen,"  etc.  See  also 
Ruy  Diaz  de  Guzman's  "  Historia  del  descubrimiento,  conquistas  y  poblaciun 
del  Rio  de  la  Plata." 

•  For  an  account  of  the  part  taken  by  the  Portuguese  in  the  discovery  of  the 


MAN  AND    IHE  MASTODON. 


9 


,vo  nations 


disputed  for  the  possession  of  the  New  World  with  ferocious 
zeal. 

On  the  9th  of  March  1  500,  Alvarez  de  Cabral  left  Portu- 
gal with  a  fleet  of  thirteen  vessels,  to  go  to  the  Indies  by 
way  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  After  passing  the  Cape  de 
Verde  islands  he  steered  westward  to  avoid  the  calms  which 
prevail  off  the  coast  of  Guinea.  Chance  favored  him  be- 
yond his  hopes,  and  six  weeks  after  he  sailed  he  landed  at 
Porto  Segiiro.  Hrazil  was  thus  discovered,'  and  Cabral  had 
the  glory  of  giving  to  his  country  a  land  sixteen  times  as 
large"  as  France.  The  country  was  inhabited  by  the  Tupis, 
of  the  Guarani  race. "  These  people  lived  in  villages  con- 
sisting generally  of  four  spacious  green  arbors  enclosing  a 
square.  They  were  skilful  in  the  use  of  the  bow,  and  sub- 
sisted upon  the  products  of  the  chase.  They  were  entirely 
naked.  A  strange  ornament  disfigured  the  men,  who  wore 
in  the  lower  lip  a  plug  of  wood  or  jade,' the  weight  of  which 
dragged  down  the  lip  in  a  hideous  fashion. 

Some  years  later,  Magellan  '  discovered  the  strait  bearing 
his  name.  An  Italian  named  Antonio  Pigafetta,  who  went 
with    him,   relates "    that    the    great    navigator   was  obliged 

New  World,  see  a  capital  essay  by  L.  Cordeiro  in  the  first  volume  of  the 
Compte  rendu  du  Congrh  d(s  Amiricanistcs,  held  at  Nancy  in  1875. 

'  It  is  possible  that  the  French  had  previ()ii>ly  touched  at  several  points  of 
Brazil,  On  tiiis  point  see  Beri^eron,  "  Hist,  dc  l.i  Navij^alion,"  Paris,  1630,  p.  107. 
"  Normans  and  Bretons,  however,  maintain  that  they  were  the  first  to  discover 
these  countries,  and  that  they  traded  from  time  immemorial  with  the  natives  of 
that  part  of  Brazil  now  known  as  Porto  Real.  But  there  having  been  no  writ- 
ten record  of  this  intercourse  it  has  fallen  into  complete  oblivion.  The  Portu- 
guese called  the  country  Santa  Cruz,  after  tlic  cross  solemnly  erected  by  Cabral ; 
but  our  French  called  it  Brazil,  because  that  wood  grows  very  plentifully  in 
certain  parts."  See  also  an  essay  by  M.  Gaffertl,  Coiigris  des  AmMcanistes, 
Luxembourg,  volume  I.,  1877. 

•Brazil  has  an  area  of  3.288,000  English  square  miles. 

'Dr.  Couto  de  Magalhails,  "OSelvagcm,"  Kiode  Janeiro, 1876.  The  Guaranis 
also  peopled  the  Argentine  Republic,  Uruguay,  and  Paraguay. 

*  This  custom  lingers  to  the  present  day  among  the  Botocudos,  a  savage  tribe 
of  cannibals  in  Brazil,  and  the  western  I^skimo. 

*  From  1519  to  1522. 

*  "  Magellan's  First  Voyage  Round  the  World,"  Hakluyt  Society's  publica- 
tions, p.  50. 


' 


lO 


PRE.HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


.1     il 


\ 

, 

to  winter  in  the  Bay  of  San  Juliano,  where  an  Indian  was 
brought  to  him  who  had  been  surprised  by  his  sailors.  This 
man,  says  our  historian,  "  was  so  tall  that  the  tallest  of  us 
only  came  up  to  his  waist ;  however,  he  was  well  built ;  he 
had  a  large  face,  painted  red  '  all  round,  and  his  eyes  also 
were  painted  yellow  around  them ;  *  *  *  he  was 
clothed  with  the  skin  of  a  certain  beast ;  *  *  *  this 
beast  has  its  head  and  ears  of  the  size  of  a  mule,  and  the 
neck  and  body  of  the  fashion  of  a  camel,  the  legs  of  a  deer, 
and  the  tail  like  that  of  the  horse.  *  *  *  This  giant 
had  his  feet  covered  with  the  skin  of  this  animal  in  the  form 
of  shoes,  and  he  carried  in  his  hand  a  short  and  thick  bow, 
*  *  *  with  a  bundle  of  cane  arrows,  which  were  not 
very  long,  and  were  feathered  like  ours,  but  they  had  no  iron 
at  the  end,  though  they  had  at  the  end  some  small  white 
and  black  cut  stones."  It  was  a  Tehuclchc,  to  whom  Ma- 
gellan gave  the  name  of  Patagon,  because  of  the  size  of  his 
foot,  which  was  aggravated  by  the  shape  of  the  shoe  he  wore. 

Before  the  arrival  of  the  Europeans,  Guiana  was  inhabited 
by  a  number  of  petty  native  tribes,  many  of  them  consisting 
of  a  few  families.  The  more  advanced  cultivated  fields  of 
manioc,  the  roots  of  which  supplied  all  their  needs.  Their 
bows  and  cotton  hammocks  were  their  only  wealth.  Their 
chiefs  had  little  authority,  and  they  were  so  totally  ignorant 
of  religion  that  they  could  not  even  be  called  idolaters.  They 
had  vague  ideas  of  the  existence  of  a  good  and  an  evil 
spirit,  and  their  only  dissipation  was  to  intoxicate  themselves 
with  a  drink  made  from  manioc  root,  which  was  chewed  by 
the  old  women  and  then  fermented.' 

But  we  need  not  give  any  further  account  of  these  great 
discoveries.  We  must  return  to  the  companions  of  Cortes 
to  tell  of  the  new  wonders  which  awaited  them.  Even  in 
the  most  remote  districts  in  the  primeval  forests  covering 
Chiapas,  Guatemala,  Honduras,  and  Yucatan  ;  where  through 

'  The  women  also  painted  their  breasts  red.  Pigafetta's  relation  is  an  obvi- 
ously gross  exaggeration  so  far  as  relates  to  the  stature  of  the  natives. 

"  Temaux  Compans,  "  Notice  Hist,  sur  la  Guyane  Franyaise,"  Paris,  1843, 
P  35- 


II. 


AfAX  AND    THE  MASTODON. 


II 


on  is  an  obvi- 


tlic  dense  undergrowth  a  passage  had  often  to  be  forced, 
axe  in  hand;  statues,  columns,  hieroglyphics,  unoccupied 
villages,  abandoned  palaces,  and  stately  ruins  rose  on  every 
ide,  mute  witnesses  of  past  ages  and  of  vanished  races, 
i'^verywhere  the  conquerors  were  met  by  tokens,  not  only  of 
a  civilization  even  more  ancient  and  probably  more  advanced 
than  that  of  the  races  they  subjugated,  but  also  of  struggles 
and  wars,  those  scourges  of  humanity  in  every  race  and  every 
clime. 

About  three  centuries  before  the  r  -^rival  of  Cortes,  the 
Aztecs,  who  were  to  be  conquered  bviiim,  established  them- 
selves in  Anahuac,'  where,  after  terrible  struggles  and  de- 
feats which,  for  a  time,  arrested  their  progress,  they  founded 
Tenochtitlan,"  which  became  their  capital.  It  is  almost  im- 
possible to  fix  the  exact  limits '  of  their  empire,  which 
stretched  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  in  the  countries 
now  forming  Mexico  and  part  of  the  United  States.  These 
limits  wire  constantly  varied  by  the  submission  of  one 
tribe  or  the  revolt  of  some  other  which  achieved  an  ephem- 
eral independence.  It  is  even  doubtful  whether  this  em- 
l)ire  was  not,  like  the  Aztec,  little  more  than  a  federation 
of  tribes  of  the  NahuatI  race,  like  the  Aztecs  themselves, 
among  whom  the  Acolhuas  and  Tepanecs  were  the  most 
important. 

One  thing  is  certain :  the  government,  though  oppressive 
to  the  governed,  was  by  no  means  firm.  Cortes  found  some 
faithful  friends  among  discontented  tribes  and  chiefs  smart- 
ing under  injuries  received,  and  it  was  due  to  their  help  that 
he   was  able  to  break  the  power  of  Montezuma.*     These 

'  The  name  of  Anahuac,  very  incorrectly  given  to  the  Mexican  empire,  was 
a  general  term  used  in  speaking  of  any  country  situated  about  a  lake  or  a  large 
sheet  of  water.  See  Brasseur  de  IJourbourg's  "  Kuines  de  Palenque,"  Chap. 
II.,  p.  32. 

*  Indian  name  of  the  city  of  Mexico. 

'Bancroft  (vol.  II.,  p.  94),  following  Clavigero,  places  their  boundaries  be- 
tween N.  Lat.  18"  and  21^  on  the  Atlantic  side,  and  14°  and  19"  on  the 
Pacific. 

■*  We  follow  the  spelling  generally  adopted.  The  real  name  of  the  chief  con- 
■quered  by  Cortes  was  Moctheuzema,  nr  Moktezcnia. 


I 


I'l 


13 


PRR-msrORlC  AMERICA. 


tribes  were  probably  descended  from  the  Toltecs,'  who,  as 
we  shall  see,  invaded  Mexico  before  the  Aztecs.  \Ve  are 
completely  in  the  dark  as  to  this  invasion,  which  motlcrn 
historians  place  at  about  the  sixth  century  of  our  era.  We 
only  know  that  the  Toltecs  formed  a  confederacy,  and  tlial 
each  tribe  yielded  alle^nance  to  an  independent  chief.' 
Were  these  Telasyians  of  the  New  World,  as  Humboldt 
calls  them,  the  sole  builders  of  the  monuments  we  are  about 
to  describe,—  the  first  inhabitants  of  the  ruined  towns  for 
which  their  descendants  have  no  names?  It  is  very  doubt- 
ful, althoul;!!  we  know  that  this  race  has  influencetl  more 
than  any  other  the  history  of  Central  America,  and  that  the 
lan^ua^e,  the  relij^ious  rites,  and  the  customs  of  the  Tol- 
tecs were  met  with  from  the  (iila  river  to  the  isthmus  o{ 
Panama.  Jiut,  torn  by  internecine  struj^gles,  decimated 
by  pestilence,  they  could  not  successfully  resist  the  Chiclii- 
mecs.  Some  withdrew  southward  and  became  mer^^ed 
with  the  Mayas,  already  settled  in  Yucatan,  and  of  whose 
imjjortance  we  shall  also  have  to  speak  presently.  The 
Chichimecs  are  even  less  known  than  their  rivals,'  and  to 
add  to  our  difficulties  their  name  has  now  become  a  gen- 
eral term  to  designate  the  unconquered  tribes  of  New  Spain. 
Hence,  dou!)tiess,  the  universal  itlea  that  they  were  wild 
and  barbaroi.,.     Bancroft  thinks  they  were  of  the  Nahuatl 

'  Sahagun  is  the  first  liistorian  who  ineiilions  the  Toltecs.  Tlicir  true  name 
is  still  uncertain.  Tiiat  given  to  thcni  by  us  is  ilurivcd  from  their  capital  TuU 
Inn  or  Tula.  According  to  IlumbokU,  they  were  the  builders  of  the  mysterious 
towns  scattered  throui^hout  Central  America,  where  their  supremacy  lasted  sev- 
eral centuries.  A  very  old  tradition  says  that  they  are  descended  from  seven 
chiefs,  who  came  out  of  tiie  seven  caves  to  which  we  shall  have  occasion  to  re- 
fer again. 

°  Ixllil.\othil!,  "  Hist.  Chichimeca  ;  "  Kingsborough,  "  Mex.  Ant.,"  vol.  IX. 
This  historian  was  descended  through  the  female  line  from  the  ancient  kings  of 
the  country.  He  was  brought  up  by  theSpaniards,  and  converted  to  the  Catholic 
faith.     He  was  still  living  in  ifioS. 

'"I  will  only  mention  the  people  denominated  Chichimecs,  under  which 
general  name  were  designated  a  multitude  of  tribes  inhabiting  the  mountain  > 
north  of  the  valley  of  Mexico,  all  of  which  were  chiefly  dependent  on  the  re- 
sult of  the  chase  for  their  subsistence." — Bancroft,  vol.  I.,  p.  617.  Becker, 
"  Migrations  des  Nahuas,"  Congrh  des  AiiUricanistts,  Luxembourg,   1877.. 


MAN  AND   THE  MASTODON. 


'3 


race  ;  others,  and  amonjjst  tlicm  the  earliest  historians  of 
the  country,  hold  a  different  opinion,  maintaining  that 
their  "anguage  was  wholly  different  from  that  of  the 
Nahuas.' 

All  these  men,  whether  Toltecs,  Chichimecs,  or  Aztecs, 
believed  that  their  people  came  from  the  North,'  and  mi- 
grated southward,  seeking  more  fertile  lands,  more  genial 
climates,  or  perhaps  driven  before  a  more  warlike  race  ;  <Mie 
wave  of  emigration  succeeding  another.  We  must,  accord- 
ing to  this  tradition,  seek  in  more  northern  regions  the  cradle 
of  the  Nahuatl  race. 

In  the  Mississippi  valley  are  found  mounds  occasionall)- 
of  imposing  grandeur,  huge  earth-works,  fortifications,  vil- 
lage-sites, altars,  or  tombs,  from  which  are  derived  the  name 
of  Mound  'u'lTs,  given  to  those  who  constructed  them; 
a  title  very  \\idely  adopted  in  ignorance  of  facts  which  the 
most  recent  investigations  are  only  now  beginning  to  place 
on  a  sound  foundation. 

There  is,  it  is  now  reasonably  certain,  no  good  ground  for 
connecting  the  builders  of  the  earthworks  of  the  Mississippi 
valley  with  the  Central  American  i)eople  who  erected  the 
remarkable  monuments  which  will  hereafter  be  referred  to. 
Ikit,  until  verj'  recently,  it  has  been  a  favorite  and  not  un- 
natural hypothesis  which  served  to  temporarily  appease  an 
ignorance,  pardonable  in  itself,  but  now  no  longer  neces- 
sar\-. 

Undoubtedly  America  bears  witness  to  a  venerable  past ; 
and  without  admitting  the  claims  of  some  recent  authors' 
who  are  of  opinion  that  when  Europe  was  inhabited  by 
wandering  savages,  whose  only  weapons  were  roughly  hewn 

'Francesco  Pimentel,  "  Lenguas  Indigenas  de  Mexico,"  vol.  I.,  p.  154. 

'^  The  most  ancient  Mexican  traditions  speak  of  a  great  empire  in  the  North, 
to  wliich  the  name  of  Huehue  Tlapallan  was  given.  We  shall  have  to  recur  to 
this  tpicstion  again. 

'•"  Agassiz  and  Lyell  lead  those  who  insist  upon  the  great  antiquity  of  the 
American  continent.  The  latter  believes  the  Mississippi  to  have  flowed  along 
its  present  bed  for  more  than  a  hundred  thousand  years. — ' '  Second  Visit  to  the 
(United  States,"  vol.  II.,  p.  188. 


'Je£a^^^i^*,'j3^^^S^r 


11 


1      i 

I     - 


\ 


s 
S 

I  J; 
i  ill 

if 
II 

f  ii 


14 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


of  stone,  America  was  already  peopled  by  men  who  built 
cities,  raised  monu.nents,  and  had  attained  to  a  high  degree 
of  culture,  we  must  admit  that  their  civilization  and  social 
organization  can  only  have  become  what  it  was  by  degrees. 
The  wealth  which  roused  the  avarice  of  the  Spaniards 
must  have  accumulated  slowly.  To  erect  the  monuments  of 
Mexico  and  Peru,  the  yet  more  ancient  ones  of  Central 
America, — the  singular  resemblance  of  which,  in  some  par- 
ticulars, to  the  temples  and  palaces  of  Egypt,'  strikes  the 
archaiolocist, — must  have  required  skilled  labor,  a  numerous 
population,  and  an  established  priesthood,  such  as  could  have 
developed  on^y  during  the  lapse  of  centuries.  During  tnese 
centuries,  the  number  of  which  it  is  impossible  to  estimate, 
the  people  into  whose  origin  we  are  enquiring  were  preceded 
by  others  more  ignorant  and  barbarous.  It  is  certain  that 
all  over  the  world  civilization  has  increased  gradually  and 
by  slow  degrees.  This  is  a  fixed  law  of  humanity  to  which 
there  is  no  exception.  The  oiden  time  was  not  without  its 
changes,  however  slowly  we  may  suppose  them  to  have  taken 
place.  "  The  oldest  monuments  of  human  labor,"  says 
Lycll('  Travels  in  North  America,"  vol.  II.,  p.  33),  "are  things 
of  yesterday,  in  comparison  with  tl'-;  effects  of  physical 
causes  which  were  in  operation  after  tl:e  existing  continents 
had  acquired  the  leading  features  of  hill  and  valley,  river  and 
lake,  which  now  bcltMig  to  them."  To  sum  up  :  multitudes 
of  races  and  nations  have  arisen  upon  the  American  conti- 
nent and  have  disappeared,  leaving  no  trace  but  ruins, 
mounds,  a  few  wrought  stones,  or  fragments  of  pottery. 
History  can  only  preserve  facts  founded  on  written  records, 
or  bond  ji-lr  traditions,  and  it  is  from  these  formulations  that 
it  builds  up  chronology  and  traces  the  pedigree  of  nations. 
Here  all  these  fail.  Those  whom  we  are  disposed  to  call 
aborigines  are  perhaps  but  the  conquerors  of  other  races  that 
preceded  them ;  conquerors  and  conquered  are  forgotten  in 
a  common  oblivion,  and  the  names  of  both  have  passed  from 
the  memory  of  man. 

'  For  these  analogies  see  "  Ensayo  de  un  estudio  comparativo  entre  la  Pira- 
mide  Egyptias  y  Mexicanas,"  Mexico,  1871. 


MAN  AND    THE   MASTODON. 


15 


Who  and  what,  then,  were  the  first  inhabitants  of 
America?  Whence  did  they  come  ?  To  what  immigra- 
tion was  their  arrival  due?  By  what  disasters  were  they 
destroyed  ?  By  what  routes  did  they  reach  these  unknown 
lands?  iN^ust  we  admit  different  centres  of  creation? 
and  were  the  primeval  Americans  born  on  American  soil  ? 
Could  evolution  and  natural  selection,  those  principles 
so  fully  accepted  by  the  modern  school,  have  produced 
on  the  shores  of  the  Atlantic  and  the  Pacific  a  type  of  man 
resembling  the  European  and  the  Asiatic,  alike  in  the  struc- 
ture of  his  frame  and  in  his  intellectual  development  ?  Vast 
and  formidable  are  the  jToblems  involved  in  these  ques- 
tions, for  they  affect  at  once  the  past  and  the  future  of  the 
human  race.  We  are,  however,  already  in  a  position  to 
assert  that  the  earliest  vestiges  of  man  in  America  and 
in  Europe  resemble  each  other  exactly,  and  by  no  means  the 
least  extraorditiary  part  of  the  case  is  that  in  the  New, 
as  in  the  Old  World,  men  began  the  struggle  for  existence 
with  almost  identical  means. 

One  fact  now  is  incontcstably  secured  to  science  :  Man  ex- 
isted in  the  Old  World  in  the  Quaternary  period.  He  was 
the  contempc.ary,  and  often  the  victim,  of  large  animals, 
the  great  strength  of  which  can  be  estimated  from  the  skele- 
tons preserved  in  our  museums.  Our  early  ancestors  had  to 
struggle  with  the  bears  and  lions  of  the  caves,  with  the  ter- 
rible JSIacJiairodus  with  tusks  as  sharp  as  the  blade  of  a 
dagger,  with  the  Mammoth,  and  the  Rhinoceros  ticJiorinus  ; 
perhaps,  also,  with  the  yet  more  ancient  Elcphas  antiqwis 
and  Rliinoccros  ctruscus.  The  first  Americans  too  were  con- 
temporary with  gigantic  animals  which,  like  their  con- 
querors of  Europe,  have  passed  away  never  to  return. 
They  had  to  contend  with  the  Mastodon,  the  Megatherium, 
(fig.  1),  the  Mylodon  (fig.  2),  the  Megalonyx,  the  elephant,' 
with  a  jaguar  larger  than  that  of  the  present  day,  and  a 
bear  more  formidable  than  that  of  the  caves."     Like   our 


ntre  la  Pira^ 


^Elcphas  Colomli  (Owen).      Found  in   both  Americas,  but   it  disappeared 
from  the  Nortli  soo.ier  than  from  the  South. 
'  Amongst  fossil  species  we  must  mention  the  Equidee,  of  which  numerous 


F/ 


Ir    ' 


i6 


PKI--inS  rOK  'C  A  ME  RICA . 


forefathers  they  had  to  attack  and  overcome  them  with  stone 
hatchets,  obsidian  knives,  and  all  the  wretched  weapons  the 
importance  of  which  we  have  been  so  long  in  recognizing  in 
America  as  in  Europe.  By  the  inevitable  law  of  progress, 
intelligence  prevailed  over  brute  force  ;  the  animal,  in  spite 
of  its  powerful  weapons  of  offence  and  defence,  was  van- 
quished in  a  struggle  in  which  every  thing  seemed  to  be  in 
its  favor  ;  and  man,  weak  and  naked  though  he  was,  lived  on 
and  perpetuated  his  race. 


Fig.   I. — The  Megatherium. 

Prime,  al  man  had  not  only  to  contend  with  pachyderma- 
tous' and  edentate''  animals:  the  period  during  wliich 
he  lived  was  marked  by  flciods,  of  which  man  still  retains 
traditions.  "If  I  may  judge"  says  the  Abbe  Brasseur  de 
Bourbourg, '  "  from  allusions  in  the  documents  that  I  have 
been     fortunate    enough    to    collect,    there   were    in    these 


varieties  occur  fnnn  the  United  States  to  tlie  La  I'lata.  Recently  the  bones  of 
a  horse  li:i\e  been  found  in  Nebraska  which  differed  bttle  from  our  own 
Eqiius  Cal'alltis.  Of  these  equine  forms  we  may  name  the  Jlipparion, 
Anchitlierium,  Frolohippiis,  Orohippiis,  etc.,  which  appear  to  have  been 
the  ancestors  of  the  modern  horse.  Ciaudry,  "  Les  Eneliainements  du  Monde 
Animal."  Ameghino  in  "  La  Antiguedad  del  Ilombre,"  vol.  L,  p.  igS,  con- 
cludes from  this  consecutive  .series  that  the  horse  is  of  American  origir. 

'  From  the  Greek  TtiXYvSEpLio?  •  or,  thick-skinned. 

"  From  the  Latin,  Edentattis  ;  or,  toothless. 

"Arch,  de  la  Com.  Scicnlijiquf  dti  Mcxique,  vol.  I.,  i>.  95. 


fPK. 


MAN  AND    THE  MASTODON.- 


17 


h  stone 
ions  the 
izing  in 
irogrcss, 
in  spite 
,as  van- 
to  be  in 
lived  on 


lyderma- 
1CT  which 
1  retains 
isscur  de 

it  I  have 
in    these 

the  bones  of 
Din  our  own 
Ilipparion, 
have    been 

Us  ilu  Monde 
p.  105.  con- 

rigir . 


regions,  at  that  remote  date,  convulsions  of  nature,  deluges, 
terrible  inundations,  followed  by  the  upheaval  of  mountains, 
accompanied  by  volcanic  eruptions.  These  traditions, 
traces  of  which  are  also  met  with  in  Mexico,  Central  Ameri- 
ca,  Peru,  and  Bolivia,  point  to  the  conclusion  that  man  ex- 
isted in  these  various  countries  at  the  time  of  the  upheaval 
of  the  Cordilleras,  and  that  the  memory  of  that  upheaval 
has  been  preserved." '     Amongst  these  changes  must  doubt- 


FiG.  2. — The  Mylodon. 

less  be  included  the  glacial  epoch  which  played  so  important 
a  part  in  North  America,  and  of  which  such  striking  traces 
are  met  with  over  an  extensive  region.  These  traces  are 
rocks  striated  or  vioutonnccs  (rounded  like  a  sheep's  back)  by 
the  friction  of  glaciers,  moraines,  drift  gravels,  terraces,  and 
huge  erratic  blocks  which  were  carried  by  the  ice.  In  New 
England  glacial  striae  have  been  met  with  at  a  height  of 

'  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  observe  that  this  remark  is  one  of  many  in  the 
writings  of  the  learned  but  credulous  author,  which  testify  more  to  the  strength 
of  his  enthusiasm  than  to  the  coolness  of  his  judgment. 


i8 


PRE-IllSTORIC  AMERICA. 


\  i' 


3,000  feet;  in  Ohio,  the  loftiest  reach  1,400  feet;  while 
those  in  Iowa,  Michigan,  and  Wisconsin  attain  a  height  of 
about  1,200  feet  above  the  sea-level.'  In  California,  a  large 
area  bears  witness  to  the  action  of  glaciers  which  came  down 
from  the  Sierra  Nevada  ;  while  even  in  the  forests  of  Brazil, 
in  the  countries  watered  by  the  Amazon,  as  well  as  on  the 
vast  savannahs  of  the  Mcta  and  the  Apurii  are  found  erratic 
blocks  of  conical  form,  which  some  observers  suppose  to 
have  been  brought  down  by  great  glaciers  from  the  Andes." 
Agassiz"  tells  of  similar  phenomena  in  the  very  heart  of 
the  tropics,  in  the  valleys  of  the  Amazon  and  the  Rio  de  la 
Plata,  and  he  considered  them  to  be  so  numerous  that  he 
could  not  but  conclude  that  they  extend  all  over  the  Ameri- 
can continent. 

Professor  Cook,  State  Geologist  of  New  Jersey,  has  made  a 
map  of  the  glaciers  of  New  Jersey.  A  huge  glacier  travelled 
slowly  from  north  to  south,  grinding,  scratching,  and  pol- 
ishing all  in  its  path,  tearing  from  the  rocks  it  came  across 
blocks  weighing  some  twenty  tons,  which  it  deposited  in  a 
terminal  moraine  as  eternal  witnesses  of  its  passage.  This 
moraine  can  still  be  seen  as  a  vast  accumulation  of  broken 
rock,  gravel,  and  clay,  extending  from  the  Raritan  to  the 
Delaware, 

These  periods  of  glaciation  seem  to  have  been  intermit- 
tent or  perhaps  recurrent.  Sutton  describes  two  wholly  dis- 
tinct deposits  in  Kentucky.*  According  to  him,  one  ot  those 
deposits  is  of  earlier  date  than  the  formation  of  the  Ohio 
valley,  and  the  second  was  not  made  until  after  the  river 
had  hollowed  out  its  present  bed.  A  few  years  ago.  Profes- 
sor Newberry  announced  his  discovery,  on  the  very  banks  of 
the  Ohio,  of  a  "  Forest  Bed  "  containing  the  bones  of  the 

'  Col.  Whittlesey,  Proc.  Am.  Assoc,  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  Buf- 
falo, 1S66. 

"  Bull.  Soc.  de  Gc'o^'.,  April,  iSSo. 

'"Journey  in  Brazil."  Other  geologists,  after  more  careful  study,  are  dis- 
posed to  doubt  the  glacial  origin  of  the  deposits  in  Brazil  which  so  much  re- 
semble the  drift. 

*  Proc,  Am,  Assoc,  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  Buffalo,  1866. 


MAN  AND    THE  MASTODON. 


19 


•  Science,  Buf- 


mastodon,  the  mammoth,  and  of  a  large  beaver-like  animal ' 
intercalated  between  two  beds  of  clay,  the  glacial  origin  of 
which  appeared  to  him  beyond  a  doubt.  Unequivocal  traces 
of  two  periods  had  already  been  observed  near  Lake  Supe- 
rior. It  is  easy  to  distinguish  traces  of  the  one  from  those 
of  the  other ;  during  the  first  the  glaciers  drifted  from  the 
northeast  to  the  southwest  ;  during  the  second,  from  the 
north  to  the  south.  During  the  period  intervening  between 
the  two,  North  America,  especially  those  districts  forming 
the  state  of  Ohio,  was  covered  with  magnificent  forests, 
where  mastodons  and  megatheria  found  alike  a  safe  retreat 
and  the  abundant  food  they  required,  as  proved  beyond  a 
doubt  by  the  remains  of  their  bones  mixed  with  those  of 
huge  plants.'  Lastly  the  Geological  Survey  of  Canada^  has 
in  its  turn  quite  recently  authenticated  two  glacial  periods  : 
the  first  and  most  terrible  must  have  coincided  with  a  gen- 
eral invasion  of  the  ice  sheet ;  the  other  with  a  subsequent 
development  of  merely  local  glaciers. 

From  what  remote  period  does  this  glaciation  date  ?  It  is 
difficult  for  the  human  imagination  to  grasp  its  causes  or  its 
duration  ;  history  and  tradition  are  alike  silent  about  them  ; 
we  only  know  that,  as  soon  as  it  came  to  an  end,  inundations 
characterized  by  violent  torrents  achieved  the  modification 
of  the  valleys  of  to-day,  and  gave  to  the  river  system  of 
America  the  physical  configuration  which  since  then  has  been 
but  little  changed.  ' 

Man  lived  through  these  convulsions*;  he  survived  the 
rigors  of  the  cold;  he  survived  the  floods,  as  the  recent  dis- 
coveries of  Dr.  Abbott ''  in  the  glacial  deposits  of  the  Dela- 

'Castoroides  Ohioensis,  Foster. 

"^American  Journal  of  Science,  vol.  V.,  p.  240. 

'  Geological  Siiniey  of  Canada,  "  Report  of  Progress  for  1877-8." 

*  "  I  see  no  reason  to  doubt,"  says  Putnam,  "  the  general  conclusion  in  re- 
gard to  the  existence  of  man  in  glacial  times,  on  the  Atlantic  coast  of  North 
America." 

'  "  Primitive  Industry,"  Salem,  Mass.,  1881.  "  Pateolithic  Implements  from 
the  Drift  in  the  Valley  of  the  Delaware  River,  near  Trenton,  New  Jersey." 
"  Report  Peabody  Museum,"  1876  and  1S78.  Th.  Belt :  "  Discovery  of  Stone 
Instruments  in  the  Glacial  Drift  in  North  America."    London,  1S7S. 


PV 


I      r 


I  if 


i    ^ 


4  I    f| 


I,  ^  r  n'! 


20 


PKE.IIISTOKIC  AMERICA. 


ware,'  near  Trenton,  N.  J.,  seem  to  prove  beyond  a  doubt. 
In  the  post-tertiary  alluvial  deposits,  consisting  of  beds  of 
sand  and  gravel,  at  a  depth  varying  from  five  to  twenty  feet, 
Abbott  found  a  considerable  number  of  implements  evidently 
fashioned  by  the  hand  of  man  (figs.  3,  4,  5),  and  greatly  re- 
sembling the  palaeolithic  implements  of  Europe,  especially 
the  most  ancient  of  all,  those  of  St.  Acheul,  or  of  Chclles. 


Fig.  3. — Stone  implement   from 
the  Delaware  valley. 


Fig.  4. — Scraper   found  in  the  Dela- 
ware valley. 


The  objects  arc  of  very  hard  trap,^  an  argillaceous  rock  of 
volcanic  origin.   Owing  to  the  difficulty  of  working  it  is  due 


'  The  Delaware  flows  into  the  Atlantic  after  a  course  of  three  hundred  and 
fifty  miles.  It  forms  the  boundary  between  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey. 
Some  geologists  think  that  part  of  the  American  continent  was  submerged  dur- 
ing the  glacial  epoch.  At  that  time  the  Delaware  certainly  flowed  into  the 
sea  near  Trenton,  which  is  now  130  miles  inland. 

"  Why  sliould  thiii  recently  displaced  material  only  yield  the  rudest  forms  of 
chipped  stone  implements,  when  the  surface  is  literally  covered  in  some  places 
with  ordinary  Indian  relics,  not  a  specimen  of  which  has  as  yet  occurred  in  this 
gravel?"     Abbott,  "  Report  Peabody  Museum,"  1876,  p.  35. 

"  The  deposit  of  trap  nearest  to  Trenton  is  thirty  rniles  farther  north. 


MAN  AND    THE  MASTODON. 


21 


in  the  Dela- 


the  fact  that  the  secondary  chipping  is  not  so  perfect  as,  for 
instance,  it  is  in  the  flint  axes  of  the  valley  of  the  Somme.' 
They  occur  in  the  midst  of  boulders,  some  of  them  twenty 
feet  in  diameter,  and  of  rocks  striated  and  polished  by  the 
action  of  ice,  or  which  have  been  swept  along  by  torrents  of 
water.  One  of  the  implements  has  scratches  exactly  similar 
to  those  of  the  stones  amongst  which  it  was  found.  This  is 
too  important  a  fact  to  be  omitted. 


Fig.  5. — Stone  weapon  from  the  Delaware  valley. 

The  Trenton  discovery  is  not  an  isolated  one.  Dr.  Abbott 
found  other  objects,  on  which  the  work  of  human  hands  is 
no  less  evident,  in  different  parts  of  New  Jersey,  and  he  is 
convinced,  that  a  search  made  on  scientific  principles  would 
yield  similar  results  in  all  the  valleys  of  this  state.  From 
the  islands  of  the  Susquehanna  have  been  obtained  imple- 
ments exactly  resembling  the  rudest  forms  of  Scandinavian 

'  H.  \V.  Haynes  :  "  The  Argillite  Implements  Found  in  the  Gravels  of 
Delaware  River." — Proc.  Boston  Society  of  Nat.  Hist.,  Jan.,  1881. 


-■^.  ?-■■■  .!XJ*jA.\r._ 


«mPMw«C«>».^  ••'^ 


7r^ 


22 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


origin.'  Like  those  of  Trenton,  they  were  made  by  men 
who  probably  lived  during  the  glacial  epoch,  and  certainly 
preceded  by  many  centuries  those  inhabiting  North  America 
on  the  arrival  of  the  Spaniards." 

A  member  of  the  Commission  d'Exploration  du  Mexique, 
M.  Guillemin  Tarayre,  speaks  of  the  occurrence  of  worked 
stones  in  the  post-tertiary  beds.  He  had  not  time  to  con- 
tinue his  researches,  but  late  discoveries  seem  to  confirm  his 
report.  A  hatchet  has  been  found  in  the  Rio  Juchipila,  near 
the  old  town  of  TcmiI  ;  in  the  Guanajuato,  a  spear  point  of 


Fig.  6. — Hatchet  from  the  alluvial  deposits  of  the  Rio  Juchipila. 

the  paljEolithic  type ;  in  another  place  an  axe  like  those  of 
St.  Acheul,  and  a  scraper  which  is  a  fac-simile  of  those 
abounding  in  European  museums,  (figs.  6,  7,  and  8).  The 
scraper  (fig.  8)  was  found  a  short  distance  from  Mexico,  in 
the  undisturbed  post-tertiary  deposits,  and  the  numerous 
remains  of  the   Elcphas    Colombi,  mixed   with  productions 

'Letter  of  Prof.  Haldeman  of  the  27th  Sept.,  1S77.  "Report  Peabody 
Museum,"  1S78,  p.  255.  We  must  also  mention  a  stone  hammer  found  at 
Pemberton,  New  Jersey  (fig.  y),  on  which  some  have  supposed  they  recog- 
nized the  Swastika,  that  sacred  sign  of  the  Aryans  which  occurs  amongst  the 
Hindoos,  Persians,  Trojans,  Pelasgians,  Celts,  and  Germanic  races.  On  the 
Pemberton  hammer  it  is  roughly  enough  executed,  even  if  the  intent  of  the 
artist  was  to  reproduce  it,  which  there  is  no  reason  to  believe. 

■■  .Vature,  187S,  part  I.,  p.  262  ;  Ameghino,  vol.  I,,  p.  148. 


ll  I 


MAN  AND    THE  MASTODON. 


23 


those  of 

of   those 

8).     The 

exico,  in 

numerous 

oductions 

ort  Peabody 

ler  found  at 

they  recog- 

amongst  the 

tes.  On  the 
intent  of  the 


of  man,  indicate  that  man  and  this  proboscidian  were  con- 
temporaries. 

Hewn  stone  implements,  the  work  of  their  hands,  are  not 
the  only  relics  of  the  early  inhabitants  of  America.  In 
many  places  human  bones  have  been  found,  associated  with 
numerous  fragments  of  extinct  animals.'     Lund  was  one  of 


Fig.  7. — A  lance  head  found 
near  Guanajuato. 


Fig.  8, — Stone  scraper  from  a  valley 
near  Mexico. 


the  first "  to  call  attention  to  them.     In  a  cave  excavated  in 


'  The  earliest  examinations  wpre  very  superficial  and  the  mistakes  made 
are  incredible.  I  cannot  give  a  better  proof  of  this  than  by  mentioning  the 
acceptance  as  human  remains  by  the  Royal  Society  of  London,  a  century  and 
a  half  ago,  of  the  bones  of  a  mastodon  found  near  Albany,  New  York.  "  Philos. 
Transactions,"  vol.  XXIX.,  1714. 

'  "On  the  Occurrence  of  Fossil  Human  Bones  in  South  America."  Nott 
and  Gliddon,  "Types  of  Mankind,"  p.  350.  Lacerda  and  Peixotto,  "  Con- 
tribui^oes  ao  Estudo  Anthropologico  das  Ragaslndig  ias  do  Brazil." — Archives 
do  Museo  Nacional,  Rio  de  Janeiro,  1876. 


1 


l'" 

'I 


t     I 


4 
Ik  if 


f  I   I 


Iff 


vil- 


li I 


24 


PRK-IIISTORIC  AMERICA. 


the  limestone  rocks  on  the  borders  of  tlie  little  lake  known 
as  the  LagoadoSumidouro,  in  the  province  of  Minas  Geraiis, 
Brazil,'  he  dug  out  the  bones  of  more  than  thirty  individuals, 
of  both  sexes  and  every  age,  from  those  of  an  infant  to  those 
of  a  decrepit  old  man. 

Some  skulls  were  found  among  these  rema!*-  i,  remarkable 
for  their  pyramidal  form  and  the  narrowness  of  their  fore- 
heads. Lund,  writing  a  few  years  later,  sj^eaks '  of  some 
lower  jaws  which  had  not  only  lost  all  their  teeth,  but  were 
so  much  worn  that  they  looked  like  a  bony  plate  but  a  few 


Fifi.g. — Stone  liammer  from  Pemberton,  New  Jersey. 

lines  in  thickness.  .Several  skulls  had  holes  in  them,  all  of 
the  same  size,  of  a  regular  and  oblong  shape.  These  were 
probably  inflicted  with  stone  weapons,  and  were  wounds  of 
so  serious  a  nature  that  the  injured  cannot  have  long  sur- 
vived them. 

The  skeletons,'  were  mixed  together  in  such  great  confu- 

'  This  cave  is  three  leagues  from  Santa  Lucia,  between  the  Las  Velhas  and 
Paraopeba  rivers. 

"  Letter  from  Lund  lo  Rafn,  dated  from  Lagoa  Santa,  23tli  of  March  1844  ; 
M^m.  Soc.  Roy,  des  Antiquaires  de  Nord,  1845,  p.  49.  Cartailhac,  "  Materiaux 
pour  I'histoire  de  1'  homme,"  January,  1882. 

*  The  word  skeleton  is  perhaps  inappropriate  ;  most  of  the  skulls  being  piled 
up  apart,  whilst  another  heap  was  made  of  small  bones,  such  as  those  of  the 
fingers  and  toes,  the  wrist  or  ankle. — Letter  from  Lund  quoted  above. 


MAN  AND    THE  MASTODON. 


25 


sion  as  to  forbid  the  idea  of  their  having  been  buried,  and 
were  lying  upon  the  red  earth,  tlie  original  soil  of  the  cave. 
They  were  imbedded  in  hard  clay  with  calcareous  incrusta- 
tions, and  covered  with  large  blocks  of  stone,  which  had 
fallen  on  them  from  the  walls  or  roof  of  the  cave. 

Mixed  up  promiscuously  with  the  human  remains  were 
found  those  of  several  animals,  chiefly  feline'  and  cervine," 
still  extant  in  the  same  region,  together  with  others  belonging 
to  species  which  have  now  migrated  or  become  extinct. 
Amongst  the  last  we  may  name  a  monkey,  {Callithrix 
priincevus),  a  rodent  of  the  size  of  the  tapir,  {Hydroc/tcerus 
sulcidcus),  a  peccary  {Dkoijlcs)  twice  as  large  as  the  living 
species,  a  horse  very  similar  to  our  own,  a  large  cat  bigger 
than  the  jaguar  {Fclis  protopattt/icr),  a  llama  (Aiic/ieiiia),  a 
Megatherium  {Accluiot/icriiiiit,  Owen),  and  several  others, 
such  as  Clilatnydoilicriiivi  Hiniiboldtii,  an  edentate  of  the  size 
of  the  tapir,  and  the  Platyonyx  of  Lund. 

The  chemical  constituents  of  the  human  bones  arc  the 
same  as  those  of  the  animals  with  which  they  were  associ- 
ated, whether  in  the  soil  which  has  remained  loose  or  in  that 
which  calcareous  infiltration  has  converted  into  a  breccia  of 
great  hardness."  Doubtless  these  men  and  animals  lived 
together  and  perished  together,  common  victims  of  catastro- 
phes, the  time  and  cause  of  which  are  alike  unknown. 

These  were  the  results  of  Lund's  first  efforts.'  Pursuing 
his  researches  in  the  province  of  MinasGcracs,  whore  he  had 
the  perseverance  and  energy,  in  spite  of  constant  difficulties, 
to  search  more  than  a  thousand  caves,  he  met  with  human 
bones  again  amongst  important  animal  remains,  but  only  in 
six  of  all  the  caves  examined.  By  prolonged  and  careful 
work  he  succeeded  in  gathering  complete  specimens  of  forty- 
four  species  now  extinct,  including  several  monkeys,  some 
hoplophori,' which  were  as  large  as  our  oxen,  and  the  Smilo- 

'  The  Puma  {Felis  coiicolor),  the  Ocelot,  [FiUs  J'aniiilis). 
'  Cei^vns  rufiis  and  C.  simplicontis.     Dasyptis  lougicaudis  and  D.  inirus. 
'  De  Quatrefages  Congres  Anthrop.  de  Moscou,  1879.  p.  6, 
*  Lund  devoted  forty-eight  years  of  his  life  to  the  study  of  the  fossil  fauna  of 
Brazil. 

'  H.  euphratus,  II.  Selloyi,  H.  minor ;  the  last  much  smaller  than  its  con- 


\ 


;i  i 


I 


,Jl 


li 


I 


36 


PKE-lllSTOKlC  AMERICA. 


don,  .1  large  feline  anim.il  akin  to  the  Machairodus  or  sabre- 
toothed  tiger,  which  inhabited  Europe  in  post-tertiary  times. 

Lund  claims  the  presence  of  man  on  the  American  conti- 
nent from  very  remote  antiquity,  telling  us'  that  it  dated 
in  South  America  not  only  earlier  than  the  discovery  of  that 
part  of  the  world  by  Euroj)cans,  but  far  back  in  historic 
times, — perhaps  even  farther  than  that,  in  geological  times, — 
as  several  species  of  animals  seem  to  have  disappeared  from 
the  fauna  since  the  appearance  of  man  in  the  Western  Hemi- 
sphere. The  learned  Dane  did  not  arrive  at  this  conclusion 
without  much  hesitation,  which  is  reflected  in  his  writings. 
Indeed,  at  first,  after  his  remarkable  discoveries,  he  dated 
the  bones  of  the  Lagoa  Santa  within  historic  times.' 

M.  (jaudry  accepts  without  hesitation  Lund's  final  con- 
clusions.' He  thinks,  however,  that  a  distinction  must  be 
recognized  between  two  post-tertiary  deposits  in  the  Sumi- 
douro  cave.  The  first  and  thickest  is  characterized  by  the 
occurrence  of  the  bones  of  the  extinct  animals,  such  as  the 
riatyonyx  and  the  Chlamydotherium,  and  must  correspond 
with  the  age  of  the  Mammoth  in  Europe  and  North  America; 
the  second  stratum  is  characterized  by  the  occurrence  of  more 
recent  species,  and  would  be  represented  by  the  Reindeer 
period  of  Europe.  It  is  with  the  latter  that  the  human 
bones  must  be  connected.  The  only  proofs,  therefore,  that 
we  have  of  the  existence  of  man  in  Brazil  during  the  post- 
tertiary  period  are  of  more  recent  date  than  the  traces  of 
prc-historic  man  in  Europe;  but  we  must  hasten  to  add  that 
this  conclusion  may  easily  be  modified  by  later  discoveries 

geners.  Piclet  places  the  hoplophori  '•  'ih  the  glyptodonts  amongst  the  Eden- 
tates ("  Palreontology,"  vol.  I.,  p.  27:),  ')i.<  there  is  nothing  to  prove,  as  has 
been  claimed,  that  the  Hoplophorua  had  a  t  uirass  like  that  of  the  Glyptodon. 

'  Letter  to  Rafn,  p.  5. 

"  "  In  my  opinion,"  said  M.  Dc  Qnatrefages,  at  Moscow,  "  the  honor  is  in- 
contestably  due  to  Lund  of  having  discovered  fossil  man  on  the  American  con- 
tinent, and  of  having  proved  his  discovery  at  a  time  when  the  existence  of  that 
man  was  considered  more  than  doubtful  by  the  most  competent  European 
authorities. " 

•  His  letter  was  quoted  by  M.  De  Quatrefages  :  Congr.  Anthrop.  de  ATos- 
rou,  1879. 


Ar.iiV  AND    Till:   MASTOnON. 


27 


In  the  French  colony  of  Guiana,  man  existed  when  a 
hirgc  portion  of  the  country  was  submerged  in  consequence 
of  a  subsidence  of  tlie  soil.  Traces  of  his  occupation  can  be 
made  out,  and  polished  stone  hatchets  have  been  found  on 
the  banks  of  the  Maroin',  Mnnamari,  Cayenne,  and  Aprou- 
ayuc  rivers.'  Strobcl  has  rccL-ntly  described"  earthenware 
vessels  of  the  most  primitive  construction,  and  chalcetlony 
arrow-heads  from  the  banks  of  the  La  Plata,  which  appear 
to  have  belonged  to  the  earliest  inhabitants  of  that  region  ; 
and  X\\c  parndcros^  of  I'atagonia  have  yielded  many  trian- 
gular arrow-points,  some  resembling  European,  others  Peru- 
vian t\'pes  *  (fig.  loV      Under  very  different  biological  antl 


5venes 


Fio.  10. — Arrow-point  from  I'atagonia. 

climatic  conditions,  pre-historic  man  has  produced  objects 
exactly  simitar.  We  shall  often  recur  to  this  singular  fact, 
which  is  in  full  accord  with  modern  research  in  other 
sciences  as  well  as  archieology. 

We  must  enumerate  the  most  important  of  these  recent 

'  Maurcl,  Bull.  Si>c.  Anthr.,  Ajiril,   187S. 

"  "  Materiali  di  raleontologia  coniparata,  racolti  in  Sud-America."  Parma, 
1868. 

'  The  word  paraderos  conies  from  farar,  to  sojourn.  The  paraderos  are 
supposed  to  occupy  the  sites  of  ancient  habitations,  on  account  of  the  numerous 
f r.igments  of  burnt  earth  strewn  about  them,  which  seem  to  have  been  used  for 
hearths. 

*  Moreno  :   "  Les  Taraderos  prc'li.  de  la  l'at.agonie,"  Rev.  d'  Anthr.,  1874. 


1 


t': 


ll 


* 


28 


PKE-niSTORIC  AMERICA. 


!    i 


discoveries.  Several  years  ago  Seguin  collected  on  the 
borders  of  the  Rio  Carcarafla  (in  the  province  of  Buenos 
Ayrcs)  numerous  bones  of  extinct  animals,'  including  those 
of  a  bear  larger  than  the  cave  bear,"  a  horse,  the  mastodon, 
and  the  megatherium.  With  these  remains  lay  human 
bones,  such  as  fragments  of  skulls,  jaw-bones,  vertebrae,  ribs, 
long  bones,  belonging  to  at  least  four  different  individuals. 
The  material  in  which  they  were  imbedded  resembled  in 
every  respect  that  containing  the  bones  of  animals,  and 
there  could  be  no  serious  doubt  as  to  their  being  contempo- 


FiG.  II. — Arrow-points  in  the  Ameghino  collection. 

raneous.  This  was  not,  however,  the  case  with  four  imple- 
ments of  hewn  stone  °  of  the  neolithic  type  ;  they  were,  it  is 
true,  found  in  the, same  formai-'on,  but  not  in  the  same 
stratum,  so  that  v  ith  regard  to  th^in  certain  reservations 
must  be  made.* 

We  will  now  speak  of  another  explorer.     Ameghino '  tells 

'  Gervais,  yomital  dc  ZoiilogU,  vol.  II.,  1872.  The  niamm.-ils  of  vhich  Se- 
guin found  rL'uiains,  .ire  the  Arctotheritim  Bonoeiieiisis,  the  Hydrochcctits 
mai;iii(s,  tlie  J\Iasto<ion,  the  ATigul/ic-riuiii  Ai>!cncaiiiis,\.\\c  Lesiodon  irigonideiis, 
the  J'.iiiyunts  rttdis,  and  a  horse  of  uncertain  species  (Ameghino,  "  La  Anti- 
guedad  del  IIonil)re  en  el  Plata,"  vol.  11.,  p.  526). 

'•'  'US  spt'lints  :  its  bones  occur  in  great  numbers  in  all  the  post-tertiary 
L.ratu.  of  Europe. 

°  Three  are  of  quartzite,  one  of  chalcedony. 

*  Some  of  these  bones  and  ot  the  hewn  flints  collected  by  .Seguin  were  exhib- 
ited at  the  Exposition  of  iSdy.     They  are  now  in  the  Paris  Museum. 

'  Letter  of  October  31,  1S75,  in  the  Journal de  Zoologie,  vol.  IV.;  "  L'llomme 
preh.  dans  la  Plata"  (AV-'.  d' Aiilhr.,  1S79-1880) ;  "La  Antiguedad  del 
Hombre  en  el  Plata,"  2  vols.,  8vo,  Paris,  iSSi. 


MAN  AND    THE  MASTODON. 


29 


US  that  on  the  banks  of  the  little  stream  of  Frias  near  Mer- 
cedes, twenty  leagues  from  Buenos  Ayres,  he  met  with  a 
number  of  human  fossils,  mixed  with  quantities  of  charcoal, 
pottery,  burnt  and  scratched  bones,  arrow-heads,  chisels, 
and  stone  knives  (fig.  il),  together  with  a  number  of  the 
bones  of  extinct  animals'  on  which  were  marks  of  chopping 
evidently  done  by  the  hand  of  man,  pointed  bones,  knives, 
and  bone-polishers.  Afterward  Ameghino  discovered  the 
actual  dwelling  of  this  early  American,  and  his  singular 
choice  was  the  carapax  of  a  gigantic  armadillo  scientifically 
known  as  the  glyptodon."    All  around  the  shell  lay  charcoal. 


10'  tells 

V  hich  Sc- 

xirochitrtii 

rii^onidens. 

La  Anti- 


fere  exhib- 


FiG.  12. — The  Glyptodon. 

ashes,  burnt  and  split  bones,  and  a  few  flints.  The  reddish 
earth  of  the  original  soil  was  consolidated.  Below  this 
level  exploration  revealed  a  stone  implement,  long  bones  of 

"  In  the  reirarkable  work  to  v/l.'ch  we  refer  our  readers,  Ameghino  gives 
complete  details  on  the  flora  and  fauna  of  the  pampas.  A  table  in  vol.  II. 
shows  the  tertiary  fauna  of  Patagonia,  the  fauna  of  the  u[)per  and  lower  pam- 
pas, of  the  lacustrine  pamjias,  of  recent  alluvial  deposits,  and  lastly  of  the  fauna 
of  the  time  of  the  Spanish  conquest.  By  the  help  of  this  table  it  is  easy  to 
form  an  idea  of  the  range  in  time  of  each  of  tlie  diffentnt  species.  The  mam- 
mals, bones  of  which  were  found  by  Ameghino  mixed  with  those  of  man,  are  : 
The  Canis  ciiltr'ukns,  the  HydrochiTrtis  siikiilt'iis,  the  Reithrodon,  tlie  Toxodon 
Platensis,,  an  Equus,  an  Atichenia  and  a  Cervus  of  undetermined  species,  the 
Mylodon  robustits,  the  Paiwch<ctiis  tiiberctilatus,  the  Glyptodon  reticiilaius,  and 
the  G.  typtis  {''  KxA.  del  Ilombre,"  vol.  II.,  chs.  X.,  XI.,  XIV.,  and  XV.). 

'  Pictet  places  this  animal  in  the  Armadillo  family  amongst  the  Edentates. 
Burmeister  {Ann.  dc  Museo  Publico  dc  Buenos  Ayres)  mentions  a  glyptodon  of 
which  the  shell  measured  five  and  a  half  feet  long  by  about  four  feet  wide  and 
three  high. 


t.l 


30 


PRE-HISTOKIC  AMERICA. 


'A  ■' 


the  deer  and  llarna,  some  split  and  bearing  evident  traces  of 
human  workmanship,  and  teeth  of  the  mylodon  and  toxo- 
don,  also  worked.  Still  later  the  discovery  of  another  glyp- 
todon  shell  under  nearly  similar  conditions  strengthened 
Ameghino's  convictions.'  In  the  midst  of  the  pampas, 
those  vast  plains  without  a  tree  or  rock  behind  which  man 
might  shelter  himself  from  attack  by  the  gigantic  animals 
wandering  about,  his  mother-wit  did  not  desert  him.  Dig- 
ging a  hole  in  the  ground,  he  roofed  it  with  the  shell  of  a 
vanquished  glyptodon,  thus  forming  a  cave-like  retreat. 

Ameghino's  discoveries  led  to  long  discussions.  Bur- 
meister  '^  rejected  the  theory  of  the  contemporaneity  of  the 
men  and  mammals  whose  bones  were  found  together.  The 
Argentine  Scientific  Society  even  refused  to  listen  to  the 
reading  of  a  memoir  upon  the  subject.  We  cannot  accept 
these  decisions.  Ameghino  asserts  that  the  human  bones 
were  mixed  with  those  of  the  animals  ^  and  that  both  were 
covered  with  dendritic  deposits  of  the  oxides  of  iron  and 
manganese  derived  from  the  soil.  The  same  dendrites  are 
met  with  in  the  striie,  which  is  positive  proof  that  these 
grooves  and  scratches,  v>hich  must  have  been  the  work  of 
man,  were  of  earlier  date  than  the  interment  of  the  bones. 
Other  bones  had  been  split  open  to  get  out  the  marrow, 
pointed  in  the  shape  of  an  arrow  or  dagger,  and  blackened 
by  fire.     The  charcoal  and   burnt  earth  *  were  certain  indi- 

'  "El  Hombre  seguiamente  habitaba  las  corazas  de  los  Glyptodon,  pero  no 
siempre  las  colocaba  en  la  posicion  que  acabo  de  indicar  "  ("  La  Antiguedad 
del  Hombre,"  vol.  II.,  p.  532). 

'Los  caballos  fossilis  Je  la.  pampa  Argentina.  Later  Burmeister  was  less 
positive  :  "  No  parece,"  he  says,  "  que  scan  contemporaneos  de  los  animales  de 
la  epoca  inferior  porque  carecemos  de  pruebas  para  determinar  con  seguridad 
que  hayan  vividosimultaneamente." — "  Descripcion  fisica  de  la  Republica  Ar- 
gentina." 

'  Ameghino  (Vol.  II.,  p.  424)  gives  a  list  of  the  animals  to  which  the  striated 
bones  belonged. 

*  "  En  algunos  puntos  se  oncuentra  una  gran  cantidad  de  fragmentos  in- 
formes  de  tierra  cocido  de  color  ladrilloso.  Que  es  lo  ijue  indican  ?  Son  los 
productoi  de  los  primeros  ensayosen  el  arte  ceramico  o  son  el  simple  resultado 
de  la  accion  del  fuego  de  un  fogon  enciditto  por  el  hombre  de  la  epoca  del 
Glyptodon."— "Ameghino,"  Vol.  I.,  p,  427. 


li' 


i 


MAN  AND    THE  MASTODON. 


31 


cations  of  the  hearths  of  men.  The  stones  could 
have  been  fashioned  only  by  the  hand  of  man. 
We  think,  therefore,  with  Amegl  ino,  that  man  lived  in 
South  America  with  animals  lung  since  extinct ;  that  he 
chased  the  deer,  the  llamas,  and  several  little  rodents  whose 
bones  occur  with  his  own  ;  that  he  was  not  afraid  to  at- 
tack the  glyptodon,  toxodon,"  the  megatherium,  and  the 
mastodon.  Their  flesh  served  for  his  food,  their  skins  for 
his  garments,  and  their  bones  became  his  implements  and 
weapons,  in  lieu  of  silicious  and  quartzite  stones,  which 
often  were  only  to  be  obtained  from  a  distance.  All  this 
seems  to  us  to  be  absolutely  proved." 

There  remains  one  important  question  to  be  solved.  At 
what  period  were  the  pampas  formed  ?  To  what  geological 
time  must  we  assign  the  upper  stratum  where  the  human 
bones  were  found?  Darwin  considers  it  of  recent,  Burmeis- 
ter  of  Quaternary,  and  Bravard  and  Ameghino  of  Pliocene 
formation.  Opinions  differ  no  less  as  to  the  mode  of  its  for- 
mation. D'Orbigny  says  that,  in  Tertiary  times,  the  sea 
covered  a  great  part  of  the  Argentine  territory  ;  the  up- 
heaval of  the  Andes  caused  great  changes  in  the  adjacent 
region,  and,  incidentally,  the  formation  of  the  pampean  de- 
posits of  argillaceous  sand.  Darwin  also  admits  this  hy- 
pothesis.' Lund  thinks  the  pampas  are  alluvial  deposits, 
brought  by  a  great  flood  which  covered  the  whole  of  South 
America.  Bravard  sees  in  them  the  result  of  volcanic  cin- 
ders, sand,  and  dust  drifted  by  strong  winds  ;  other  geolo- 
gists think  they  are  the  sediment  brought  down  in  the  time 
of  great  floods  by  the  countless  streams  flowing  from  the 
Andes.     Dr.   Burmeister  speaks  of  the  action  of  ice.       To 

'  Toxodon platvnsis,  Owen.  The  first  was  discovered  on  the  borders  of  the 
Rio  Negro,  120  miles  northwest  of  Montevideo;  the  length  of  its  head  was 
two  feet  four  inches.     Later,  several  species  have  been  recognized. 

°  Ameghino's  has  not  remained  the  only  discovery.  We  shall  mention  an- 
other later  (Chap.  IX.). 

'  It  is  remarkable  that  the  deposits  of  the  pampas  contain  no  marine  shells. 
This  is  a  serious  objection  to  the  exclusive  system  advocated  by  Darwin  and 
D'Orbigny, 


/  im 


•t  ik 


Mi    i! 

si    i  m  i 


32  '       PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 

him  the  pampean  deposits  appear  to  be  some  pre-glacial  and 
others  post-glacial,  each  characterized  by  a  different  fauna  ; 
but  the  most  recent  researches  justly  reject  the  idea  of  sud- 
den and  complete  changes  with  the  fauna  appearing  and  dis- 
appearing abruptly.  No  fauna  hab  thus  appeared  and  disap- 
peared. Moreover,  Ameghino  calls  our  attention  to  great 
mammals,  such  as  the  smilodon,  the  Fclis  loitgifrons,  the 
toxodon,  and  the  mastodon  in  successive  strata,  the  two 
last  named  even  occurring  in  comparatively  recent  times. 
The  hoplopho;  us,  the  megatherium,  and  the  mylodon,  es- 
pecially classed  by  Burmeister  among  pre-glacial  animals, 
occur  in  the  upper  strata  of  the  pampas.  On  the  other 
hand  the  species  quoted  as  characteristic  of  the  post-glacial 
epoch  arc  met  with  in  every  stratum.  Without  prolonging 
the  discussion  we  will  add  that  the  formation  of  the  pampas 
ccrlainly  took  a  long  time,  "  largos  y  largos  siglos,"  says 
Ameghino ;  that  they  are  the  result  of  many  and  varied 
causes,  and  that  all  those  which  we  have  just  enumerated, 
with  perhaps  others  also,  undoubtedly  contributed  to  their 
production.  If  it  is  difficult,  in  the  present  state  of  knowl- 
edge, to  assign  to  each  of  these  causes  its  exact  role,  it  is 
still  more  impossible  to  place  them  in  a  definite  epoch,  and 
the  difficulties  are  greatly  increased  by  the  fact  that  geologi- 
cal periods  are  not  synchronous  in  Europe  and  America,  and 
if  ever  they  are  assimilated  more  perfectly  than  now,  it  will 
only  be  after  long  and  patient  researches. 

We  must  not  omit  to  mention  a  skull  discovered  by  Dr. 
Moreno,  in  1874,  on  the  banks  of  the  Rio  Negro,  Patagonia, 
at  a  depth  of  thirteen  feet,  in  a  bed  of  gravel  and  yellow 
sand,  which  he  considers  '  to  be  of  a  contemporaneous  for- 
mation with  the  subsoil  of  the  pampas.  Although  there 
were  no  bones  with  this  skull  to  aid  in  the  exact  determi- 
nation of  its  age,  Moreno  thinks  it  very  ancient,  and  calls 
attention  to  its  remarkable  artificial  deformation,  resembling 
that  which  has  always  prevailed  amongst  the  Aymaras,  and 
is  also  met  with  among  tribes  more  than  six  hundred  leagues 

*  Bull.  Soc.  Ant/ir.,  1880,  p.  400. 


i!  II 


AfAX  AND    THE  MASTOrox. 


33 


from  them.  Broca  has  also  pointed  out  the  traces  left  on 
the  forehead  by  periostitis,  and  he  does  not  hesitate  to  at- 
tribute this  scar  to  a  syphilitic  disease.  This  is  a  very  in- 
teresting pathological  fact. 

Moreno  had  previously  collected  many  human  bones  in 
the  ancient  cemeteries  of  Patagonia.  That  they  are  very 
ancient  no  one  can  doubt,  but  to  fix  their  real  age  with  any 
certainty  is  very  difficult.  The  skeletons  were  generally 
seated,  with  the  face  turned  outward,  the  knees  drawn  up  to 
the  breast,  one  foot  resting  on  the  other,  and  the  hands 
crossed  on  the  shins.  This  is  much  the  same  position  as 
that  of  Peruvian  and  Aleutian  mummies.  With  the  skele- 
tons were  found  arrow-points  of  many  different  shapes  and 
of  many  kinds  of  stone,  little  flint  knives,  ''ragments  of  pot- 
tery ornamented  with  dots,  straight,  waving,  and  zig-zag 
lines;  bowls  of  sandstone,  diorite,  or  porphyry;  stone  mor- 
tars— one  of  them  fourteen  inches  in  diameter ;  shells  of 
different  kinds  ;  and,  lastly,  the  bones  of  the  guanaco  and 
ostrich  split  lengthwise.  Some  of  the  human  bones  were  dyed 
red.  As  some  Indians  were  still  in  the  habit  during  the  last 
century  of  painting  their  faces  red  before  starting  on  an  expe- 
dition, it  is  supposed  that  these  bones  belonged  to  warriors 
killed  in  battle.  It  is  useful  to  note  this  fact,  but  we  must 
add  that  the  funeral  rites  to  which  the  remains  bear  witness 
would  not  date  back  to  the  Quaternary  period,  nor  have 
been  practised  by  the  contemporaries  of  the  mylodon  or 
glyptodon. 

The  discoveries  in  North  America  would  be  no  less  curi- 
ous, if  we  could  but  accept  them  with  more  confidence. 
This  reservation  made,  we  must  mention  them,  if  only  to 
show  that  sometimes  even  masters  in  science  allow  them- 
sei»es  to  be  carried  away  by  their  imaginations,  and  even 
more  by  pre-conceived  ideas.  In  1848,  Count  F.  de  Pour- 
tales  found  some  human  jaws  with  the  teeth  still  in  them, 
and  part  of  the  bones  of  a  human  foot,  in  a  conglomerate 
made  up  of  fragments  of  coral  or  broken  shells  and  imbedded 
in  the    perpendicular    rocks   overhanging   Lake    Monroe, 


I 

1 

,  1 

/ 

^            1 

I' 

■■1 
i     , 

1       . 

■il  ■ 


34 


PRE-IUSTORIC  AMERICA. 


Florida,  about  ten  miles  from  the  coast.  Agassiz '  informed 
the  scientific  world  of  the  fact,  and  considering  that  the  land 
here  gains  on  the  sea  at  the  rate  of  about  a  foot  in  a  cen- 
tury, he  allowed  for  the  coral-bank  an  age  of  13,300  years,  and 
for  the  bones  imbedded  in  it  10,000  years.  Lyell,"  Wilson,' 
and  with  them  many  other  scientific  men,  had  accepted  the 
fact  of  the  discovery,  with  the  consequences  resulting  from 
it,  when  a  letter  from  the  Count  dc  Pourtal&s  put  an  end  to 
a  controversy  which  had  extended  over  many  years,  by  as- 
serting that  the  human  bones  were  found  not  in  the  coral 
conglomerate,  but  in  a  fresh-water  calcareous  deposit  dis- 
tinctly characterized  bymollusks*  such  as  still  live  in  the 
lake. 

In  the  Ivic' s  oi  ' '^'"  Mississippi  at  Natchez,  Dr.  Dickson 
found,  side  b)-  .iuu  with  the  bones  of  the  mylodon  and 
megalonyy,  a  human  pelvis,''  blackened  like  them  by  time, 
and  still  mi;re  by  the  •" "'.'"  in  which  they  were  all  lying. 
This  time,  Sir  Cluuics  ]  .yell  showed  more  reserve ;  he  ob- 
served that  the  human  bone  might  have  come  from  the  very 
numerous  Indian  burial-places  in  the  neighborhood,  and 
have  been  carried  along  by  water."  Sir  J.  Lubbock  did  not 
express  his  opinions,  but  he  extended  a  certain  amount  of 
credit  to  the  opinion  of  Usher,  who  regarded  the  bones  in 
question  as  fossil.''  We  must  also  mention  that  Dr.  Leidy 
adopted  the  wiser  course,  and  refrained  until  the  recep- 
tion of  more  complete  evidence  from  coming  to  any  conclu- 
sions as  to  the  contemporaneity  of  man  with  the  mammals 
amongst  the  remains  of  which  his  bones  were  mixed. 


'Agassiz'  Lecture. — Mobile  Daily  Tribtcite,  April  14,  1855.  Nott  and 
Gliddon,   "  Types  of  Mankind,"  p.  352. 

'  "Antiquity  of  Man,"  p.  44. 

°"rre-historicMan,"  p.  12. 

*  He  met  especially  with  Atnpullaria  and  Paludina. — Am.  Naturalist, 
vol.  II.,  p.  443,  Oct.,   1S68. 

°  Os  innominatum.  Nott  and  Gliddon,    "  Types  of  Mankind,"  p.  349. 

""  Second  Visit  to  America  in  1846,"  vol.  II.,  p.  197  ;  "  Antiquity  of  Man," 
Chap.  X. 

'  "  Pre-historic  Man."  Southall,  "Recent  Origin  of  Man,"  p.  551. 
Short,   "  North  Americans  of  Antiquity,"  p.  114. 


I       I 


II 


MAN  AND    THE  MASTODON. 


35 


The  plains  stretching  from  New  Orleans  to  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico  are  low  and  wet.  In  crossing  them  it  is  difficult  to 
distinguish  between  dry  land  and  the  marshes  covered  with 
water-plants.  These  wild  solitudes,  shut  in  by  a  barren  hori- 
zon, arc  the  haunt  of  fevers,  and  tenanted  by  reptiles  and  in- 
sects of  all  kinds.  The  energy  of  man  has  succeeded  in 
conquering  the  resistance  of  nature,  and  one  of  the  chief 
cities  of  the  South  rises  from  alluvial  deposits  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, which  attain  at  certain  points  a  height  of  five  hundred 
feet.  Trenches,  dug  some  years  ago  for  laying  down  gas- 
pipes,  laid  bare  several  successive  strata  of  ancient  forest, 
in  which  geologists  have  made  out  ten  generations  of  trees 
which  have  been  buried  for  some  centuries.'  In  a  bed  be- 
longing to  the  fourth  forest,  at  a  depth  of  sixteen  feet, 
amongst  the  trunks  of  trees  and  fragments  of  burnt  wood, 
lay  a  skeleton.  The  skull  was  beneath  a  gigantic  cypress, 
which  lived  many  years  after  the  owner  of  the  head,  and  had 
in  its  turn  succumbed."  In  estimating  the  time  required  for 
the  growth  of  the  trees  with  the  duration  of  the  various 
forest  deposits,  Bennct  Dowler  asserts  the  age  of  the  human 
remains  at  57,000  years.  This  is  too  hypothetical  a  calcula- 
tion to  be  worth  discussion.  Dr.  Dowler  seems  to  have  felt 
this  himself,  for  in  a  later  calculation  he  gives  the  skeleton 
an  antiquity  of  14,400'  years!  Like  the  first  quoted,  these 
figures  rest  on  no  solid  foundation,  if,  as  Dr.  Foster*  very 
reasonably  suggests,  the  so-called  forests  successively  laid 
low,  were  but  trees  carried  down  by  the  river  in  its  frequent 

'  "  Picture  of  New  Orleans,"  1852  ;  Nott  and  Gliddon,  "  Typesof  Mankind," 
p.  33S  ;  Lyell,  "  Antiquity  of  Man,"  pp.  44  and  200  ;  Huxley,  "  Man's  Place 
in  Nature,"  Note  by  Dr.  Daly;  Lubbock,  "  L' Homme  Preh.,  p.  261; 
Southall,  "Recent  Origin  of  Man,"  pp.  470  and  551. 

"  The  cypress  ( Taxcdiuin  distichuni)  lives  to  a  great  age.  Adanson 
mentions  Oi.'>,  which  he  believes  to  have  lived  5,200  years,  and  Humboldt 
speaks  of  another  at  Chapultepec,  already  old  in  the  time  of  Montezuma,  which 
he  thinks  has  lived  at  least  6,000  years,  but  these  estimates  must  be  taken  as 
subject  to  immense  reduction. 

'We  give  these  estimates  as  quoted  in  a  recent  book.  (Short's.  "  Americaa 
Indians,"  p.  123.) 

*  '•'•  Piehistoric  Races  of  the  United  States  of  America,"  p.  76. 


/  n- 


I  ( 'iif 


k:'' 


t' 

c. 

1 

3^> 


PKE-UISTORIC  AMERICA. 


inundations,  and  deposited  with  alluvial  loam  where  the 
Mississippi  empties  its  waters  into  the  sea.  The  same  con- 
clusion is  arrived  at,  if  wc  accept  Dr.  Hil<jard's  opinion,  who 
looks  upon  the  bod  in  which  the  skeleton  lay,  as  a  recent 
alluvial  deposit. 

In  a  salt  mine  on  the  island  of  Petit  Anse,  Louisiana,  was 
found  a  mat  made  of  interlaced  reeds.'  The  salt  occurs  at  a 
depth  of  fifteen  to  twenty  feet,  and  the  fragment  of  mat  was 
found  at  the  level  of  the  first  deposit  of  salt.  Two  feet 
above  lay  some  fragments  of  the  tusks  or  bones  of  an  ele- 
phant. Man  and  the  proboscidian  had  lived  at  the  same 
time  and  met  death  at  the  same  place. 

In  the  bottom  land  of  the  Bourbeuse  River,  Gasconade 
County,  Missouri,  Dr.  Koch  discovered  the  remains  of  a  mas- 
todon." This  animal,  one  of  the  largest  known,  had  sunk  in 
the  mud  of  the  marshes ;  borne  down  by  its  own  weight,  it 
had  been  unable  to  regain  its  footing,  and  had  fallen  on  its 
right  side.  Some  men  had  seen  it  in  this  position,  and  had 
at  first  attacked  it  from  a  distance,  throwing  at  it  arrows, 
stones,  and  pieces  of  rock,  of  which  a  great  number  are  mixed 
with  its  bones ;  then,  to  get  th>  Letter  of  it  the  more  easily, 
they  had  succeeded  in  lighting  fires  round  it,  to  which  the 
heaps  of  cinders,  some  of  them  as  much  as  six  feet  high,  still 
bear  witness.  The  arrows,  lance-points,  and  knives  were 
certainly  the  work  of  man,  and  the  pieces  of  rock,  some  of 
them  weighing  no  less  than  twenty-five  pounds,  had  been 
brought  from  a  distance.  Every  thing  seems  to  prove  the 
exact  truth  of  the  scene  described  by  Koch.     The  following 

^Arundinaria  macrosperma.  "this  mat  is  now  in  the  National  Museum  at 
Washington. 

"  Kocli  announced  his  discovery  in  many  pamphlets  of  little  scientific  value. 
Dana  has  preserved  the  titles  of  a  great  many  ;  among  them,  see  Koch's 
"Evidence  on  the  Contemporaneity  of  Man  and  the  Mastodon  in  Missouri." 
American  yotirnal  of  Science  and  Arts,  May,  1S75.  Consult  also  Foster 
r*  Preh.  R.ices,"  p.  62)  ;  Rau,  ("  North  Am.  Stone  Implements",  Smith  Cont., 
1S72,)  who  admits  the  authenticity  of  Koch's  discovery,  and  Short  ("North 
Americans")  who  denies  it.  Schoolcraft,  (Vol,  I.,  p.  174)  says  of  the  bones  of 
the  mastodon  discovered  near  the  Potato  River,  that  they  were  not  petrified, 
•which  throws  a  doubt  on  their  great  antiquity. 


MAN  AND    THE  MASTODON. 


17 


year  he  made  a  somewhat  similar  discovery  in  Benton 
County,  Missouri.  At  about  ten  miles  from  the  junction  of 
the  Potato  River  with  the  Osage,  he  found,  under  the  thigh- 
bone of  a  mastodon,  an  arrow  of  pink  quartz,  and  a  little 
farther  off,  also  in  the  direction  of  the  animal,  four  other 
arrows,'  which  to  all  appearance  had  been  shot  at  him." 

These  observations  are  very  likely  correct ;  but  unfortu- 
nately Koch's  want  of  scientific  knowledge  °  and  the  exaggera- 
tions with  which  he  accompanied  his  storj',  at  first  threw 
some  discredit  upon  the  facts  themselves.  But  the  recent 
discoveries  of  Dr.  Aughey  in  Iowa  and  Nebraska  have  now 
confirmed  them.  There,  too,  the  bones  of  the  mastodon 
have  been  found  mixed  with  numerous  stone  weapons;  and 
man,  we  learn  to  our  surprise,  armed  with  these  feeble 
weapons,  not  only  did  not  fear  to  attack  the  gigantic  animal, 
but  succeeded  in  vanquishing  it. 

In  the  Sierra  Nevada  region,  at  various  localities  on  the 
Pacific  coast,  numerous  traces  of  the  presence  of  man  are 
met  with.  The  discovery  of  implements  or  weapons  at  a 
depth  of  several  hundred  feet,  in  diversely  stratified  beds 
showing  no  trace  of  displacement,  simply  implies  that  the 
country  was  peopled  many  centuries  before  the  arrival  of  the 
Spaniards,  and  that  the  inhabitants  were  witnesses  of  the 
convulsions  of  nature,  of  the  volcanic  phenomena,  which 
brought  about  such  remarkable  changes.  But  when  the 
bones  of  man  and  the  results  of  his  very  primitive  industry 
are  associated  with  the  remains  of  animals  wliich  have  been 
extinct  for  a  period  of  time  of  which  it  is  difficult  to  estimate 
the  length,  it  is  impossible  not  to  date  the  existence  of  that 
man  from  the  most  remote  antiquity.* 

These  facts  are  confirmed  in  California,  Colorado  (fig.  13), 

'  Three  of  these  arrows  were  of  agate  and  one  of  bhiish-colored  silex. 

*  "  Trans,  of  the  Saint  Louis  Academy  of  Sciences,"  1S57. 

'  Koch  was  chiefly  great  as  a  skilful  and  persevering  collector.  The  Ameri- 
can and  European  museums  abound  in  specimens  collected  by  him.  He  was 
the  discoverer,  among  other  things,  of  the  magnificent  mastodon  of  the  British 
Museum. 

*  Bancroft,  vol.  IV.,  p.  697. 


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15       u; !; 


Fio.  13. — Cnflon  of  the  Colorado  River. 


MAN    WD    THE  MASTODON. 


39 


Wyoming,  wherever  a  search  has  been  possible.  In  a  manu- 
script which  we  believe  to  be  still  unpublished,  Voy'  de- 
scribes numerou  and  interesting  discoveries,  all  carefully 
verified.  We  will  mention  two  stone  mortars  found  in  some 
auriferous  gravel  near  Table  Mountain,  one  in  1858,  at  a 
depth  of  three  hundred  feet,  the  other  in  1862,  forty  feet 
lower  down,  under  a  bed  of  lava  four  hundred  feet  thick ; 
and  at  St.  Andrews,  several  similar  mctars,  such  as  abound 
all  over  California.  We  confine  ourselves  to  the  following 
rather  dry  enumeration  ;  Dr.  Snell  speaks  of  a  pendant  of 
siliceous  schist  and  several  lance-points.  From  Shaw's  Flat 
there  are  ornaments  of  calc-spar  and  a  granite  mortar;  near 
Sonora  and  at  Kincaid's  Flat,  stone  implements ;  at  Gold 
Spring  gulch,  an  oval  granite  dish  more  than  eighteen  inches 
in  diameter,  two  to  three  inches  thick,  and  weighing  forty 
pounds  ;  at  Georgetown  several  very  similar  dishes.  Every- 
where these  flints,  mortars,  and  dishes  were  associated  with 
the  bones  of  the  mastodon,  of  the  elephant,  of  a  large  tapir, 
and  of  other  extinct  animals.  It  has  been  the  fashion  to 
attribute  these  objects,  evidently  the  work  of  man,  to  a  sav- 
age and  cannibal  race,  extinct  with  the  animals  amongst 
which  it  lived,  and  having  nothing  in  common  with  the 
Indians  of  the  present  day." 

Traces  of  ancient  mining  operations  are  also  met  with  in 
several  places  in  North  America ;  but  all  we  know  about  them 
is  that  they  are  of  much  earlier  date  than  the  Spanish  con- 
quest. Mention  is  made  of  ancient  mines  of  cinnabar  exist- 
ing in  California,^  where  the  rocks  have  given  way,  burying 
in  their  fall  the  miners,  whose  skeletons  lay  at  the  bottom  of 
the  mine  beside  clumsy  stone  hammers,  the  only  tools  of 
these  savage  workmen.  Similar  hammers  have  been  found 
in  the  Lake  Superior  mines.^    We  shall  recur  to  this  subject ; 

*  "  Relics  of  the  Stone  Age  in  California." 

"Bancroft,  vol.  III.,  p.  549.  He  quotes  an  unpublished  manuscript  of 
I'owers.  In  appendix  A,  we  give  the  chief  discoveries  and  the  fauna  associated 
with  them. 

'Bancroft,  vol.  IV.,  p.  6g6.  The  Spaniards  gave  the  name  of  Almaden  to 
these  mines  in  memory  of  those  of  their  country. 

*"  Report  of  the  Am.  Assoc,  for  the  Adv.  of  Science.  "Cambridge,  Mass. ,1849. 


r^i, 


!i 


I 


40 


rHE./IISTORlC  AMERICA, 


I    f. 


but  W'c  may  add  now  that  the  workmansliip  of  these  objects 
is  similar  to  that  of  the  Indians,  and  need  not  be  attributed 
to  a  different  race. 

iJerthoud  tells  us  that  in  the  Tertiary  yravels  at  Cow's 
Creek,  and  near  the  South  Platte  River,  he  found  some  stone 
implements,  together  with  which  he  picked  up  some  shells 
that  he  assigns  to  the  most  ancient  beds  of  the  Pliocene  de- 
posits, perhaps  even  to  those  of  the  Miocene  period.  These 
are,  it  must  be  admitted,  but  feeble  proofs  of  a  fact  of  such 
capital  importance  as  the  existence  of  man  in  tertiary  times.' 


Fig.  14.-  The  Calaveras  skull,  after  Whitney.  ! 

The  discovery  we  have  still  to  mention  has  been  discussed 
in  all  the  learned  societies  of  America  and  Europe  ;  and  al- 
though a  satisfactory  solution  of  it  has  not  )et  been  arrived 
at,  it  will  be  well  to  give  such  details  as  are  possible.  In 
1857,  a  fragment  of  a  human  skull  was  found,  associated 
with  the  bones  of  the  mastodon,  in  the  auriferous  gravel  of 
Table  Mountain,  California,  at  a  depth  of  180  feet.  Dr.  C. 
F.  Winslow  sent  this  fragment  to  the  Natural  History  So- 
ciety of  Boston,"  where  it  attracted  little  attention,  because 

'  Berthoud  says  he   found   these  oVijccts  in  40°  N.  Lat.,  and  104°  W.  Long. 
Philadelphia  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  1S72. 
*  WhiUiey,  "  Auriferous  Gravels  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,"  p.  264, 


MAN  AND   THE  MASTODON. 


41 


there  was  no  evidence  concerninjj  the  age  of  deposit.  A 
fragment  from  the  same  skull  was  also  given  by  Dr.  Winslow 
to  the  Philadelphia  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences. 

A  few  years  later,  i.e.,  in  1866,  Professor  J.  D.  Whitney, 
Director  of  the  Geological  Survey  of  California,  announced 
the  discovery  of  a  skull,  this  time  nearly  complete  (fig.  14), 
at  a  depth  of  about  a  humired  and  thirty  feet,  in  a  bed  of 
auriferous  gravel  on  the  western  slope  of  the  Sierra  Nevada 
(Calaveras  County).  The  deposit  rested  «.;ii  a  bed  of  lava 
and  was  covered  with  several  layers,  some  of  lava,  some  of 
volcanic  deposits,  overlying  beds  of  gravel.'  This  succession 
of  strata  indicates  long  periods  of  agitation,  during  which  in- 
undations alternated  with  eruptions.  If  the  facts  reported 
be  correct,  the  waters  have  more  than  once  invaded  the  dis- 
tricts inhabited  by  man,  and  burning  lava  from  volcanoes 
has  dried  up  the  rivers  at  their  sources. 

The  skull  was  imbedded  in  consolidated  gravel,  in  which 
were  several  other  fragments  of  human  bones,  thr  remains  of 
some  small  mammals  which  it  was  impossible  to  class,  and  a 
shell  of  a  land  snail  {Helix  viormonnni),  Beside  them  lay 
some  completely  fossilized  wood.  We  must  add  that  the 
shaft  of  the  mine,  from  which  the  skull  was  taken,  has  since 
become  filled  with  water,  and  any  further  examination  has 
become  impracticable  on  account  of  the  expense  involved  in 
pumping  it  out. 

Though  the  Calaveras  skull  was  associated  with  no  mam- 
mal bones,  with  the  aid  of  which  its  ago  might  be  fixed,  it 
is  a  fact  that,  in  other  parts  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  gravels  of 
an  identical  kind  have  yielded  the  bones  of  extinct  animals. 
There  are  deposits  in  California  and  Oregon  where,  to  use  a 

'We  give  a  list,  from  the  "  Materiaux  pour  riiisioire  Primitive  et  Naturelle 
de  THomme,"  of  the  series  of  deposits  from  above  downward. 


1  black  lava 

2  gravels 

3  \Miite  lava 

4  gravels 

5  white  lava 


40  ft. 

3  " 
30  " 

5  " 

15  '• 


6  gravels 

7  brown  lava 

8  gravels 

9  red  lava 
10  red  gravels 


25  ft. 
9  " 
5  " 
4  " 

17  " 


i 


According  to  the  proprietor  of  the  mine,  it  is  in  bed  No.  8  that  the  skull  under 
notice  was  found. 


V  M' 


.42 


PRE.HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


^  m 


£>  1 


popular  expression,  the  remains  of  elephants  and  mastodons 
might  be  had  by  the  wagon-load.  Beside  gigantic  pachyder- 
mata  we  meet  with  the  Palasolama,  the  Elotherium,'  extinct 
oxen,  Hipparion,  and  several  kinds  of  horses.  The  fossil 
flora,  impressions  of  which  are  of  frequent  occurrence  in  the 
argillaceous  deposits,  also  presents  notable  differences  from 
that  of  to-day."  It  contains  elms,  figs,  alders,  and  other 
trees  of  Europe ;  but  we  notice  particularly  the  complete 
absence  of  coniferous  trees,  which  now  give  to  the  flora  of 
California  its  distinctive  character.  Whitney  also  calls  at- 
tention, in  support  of  his  theory,  to  such  implements  as 
lance-points,  stone  hatchets,  mortars,  doubtless  used  for 
grinding  grain  or  kernels,  all  bearing  witness  to  the  presence 
of  man,  and  which  have  been  found  in  many  places  buried 
beneath  beds  of  lava.  The  folloxving  are  the  terms  in  which 
he  announces  his  discovery  to  M.  Desor :  "  My  chief  in- 
terest now  centres  in  the  human  remains,  and  in  the  works 
from  the  hand  of  man  that  have  been  found  in  the  Tertiary 
strata  of  California,  the  existence  of  which  I  have  been  able 
to  verify  during  the  last  few  months.  Evidence  has  now 
accumulated  to  such  an  extent  that  I  feel  no  hesitation  in 
saying  that  we  have  unequivocal  proofs  of  the  existence  of 
man  on  the  Pacific  coasts  prior  to  the  glacial  period,  prior  to 
the  period  of  the  mastodon  and  the  elephant,  at  a  time  when 
animal  and  vegetable  life  were  entirely  different  from  what 
they  arc  now,  and  since  which  a  vertical  erosion  of  from  two 
to  three  thousand  feet  of  hard  rock  strata  has  taken  place." 
The  scientific  world  awaited  with  natural  impatience  the 
confirmation  of  these  discoveries.  Dc?or  constituted  himself 
the  spokesman  of  his  colleagues,  and  in  1872  Whitney  replied 
to  him/' :  "  You  may  rely  upon  my  publishing  this  fact,  with  all 
its  details,  as  soon  as  the  necessary  maps  are  eng"aved,  and  I 

'According  to  Pictet,  belonging  to  the  Padiydermata  and  the  family  of 
Suida;.  In  appendix  A.  we  give  ihe  list  of  the  fauna  drawn  up  by  Whitney,  in 
his  "  Auriferous  Gravels." 

'  Lesquereux  made  out  in  the  flora  of  the  mining  districts  forms  belonging  to 
the  Pliocene  period,  and  even  approaching  those  of  the  Miocene, 

''  Revue  ci'  Anthivp.,  1872,  p.  7O0, 


MAN  AND    THE  MASTODON. 


43 


have  completely  finished  my  survey  of  the  geology  of  the 
region.  It  will  then  be  seen  that  there  has  been  no  mis- 
take. The  mere  publication  of  the  fact  that  human  remains 
and  products  of  human  industry  have  been  found  beneath 
the  volcanic  emissions  of  tne  Sierra  Nevada  would  prove 
nothing,  if  the  geological  structure  of  the  region  had  not  at 
the  same  time  been  determined  with  sufficient  precision  for 
every  one  to  be  able  to  appreciate,  from  a  scientific  point  of 
view,  the  significance  of  this  discovery.  Rest  assur'^d  that 
the  Calaveras  County  skull  is  not  an  isolated  fact,  but  that  I 
have  a  whole  series  of  well-authenticated  cases  of  the  find- 
ing, in  the  same  geological  position,  of  either  human  remains 
or  objects  of  human  workmanship."  To  make  these  state- 
ments complete,  a  geologist  of  Philadelphia  at  the  same  time 
informed  the  Abb6  Bourgeois  that  Whitney  had  collected, 
in  the  Pliocene  strata  of  California,  in  nine  different  places, 
human  bones  or  relics  of  human  industry,  and  tha:  these 
facts  were  destined  to  remove  nil  uncertainty.' 

For  the  next  eight  years  Whitney  published  no  details  of 
his  discoveries,  and  the  newspapers  reported,  without  his 
taking  the  trouble  to  contradict  it,  the  assertion  that  he  had 
been  the  victim  of  an  unfortunate  hoax. 

Subsequently  he  referred  to  the  subject  in  a  lecture  at 
Harvard  University,  in  Cambridge,  Massachusetts,  and 
since  then  has  fully  discussed  the  subject  in  the  works  to 
which  his  name  gives  a  legitimate  importance.  He  main- 
tains the  authenticity  of  his  discovery,  as  attested  by  the 
researches  he  has  made  in  person,  while  admitting  that  the 
finders  of  the  skull  were  but  ignorant  laborers,  and  that  no 
competent  person  saw  it  in  its  original  position." 

No  proof  is  afforded  by  the  characteristics  of  the  skull.  It 
resembles  the  Eskimo  type,  and  the  very  prominent  supra- 
orbital ridges  form  its  most  distinguishing  feature.     Chemi- 

'  "  Mateiiaux  pour  r  Ilistoire  Primitive  ct  Naturelle  de  1' Homme,"  1873, 

p.  55. 

"Whitney:  "  Lecture  in  Cambridge,"  April  25,  1878.  "  The  Calaveras 
Skull :  Memoirs  of  the  Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology  of  Harvard  College," 
vol.  VI. 


Ml 


iV^ 


J,;  .-        -^'^f  - 


.11 ) 


i 


!'f  !i 


m    ';i' 


II 

I' 


44 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


cal  analysis  gives  no  decided  verdict.  It  shows  that  the 
skull  contains  a  slight  trace  of  organic  matter,'  and  that 
phosphate  of  lime  is  partly  replaced  by  carbonate. 

We  note  these  two  facts,  which  seem  to  us  important. 
It  seems  unlikely  that  traces  of  organic  matter,  however 
slight  they  may  be,  could  have  been  preserved  throughout 
the  vast  periods  of  time  separating  our  own  from  the  Ter- 
tiary period.  No  less  unexpected  would  be  the  resemblance 
of  a  skull  of  that  age  to  the  skulls  of  the  Eskimo  of  to-day, 
and  it  is  difficult  to  admit  the  perpetuation  of  a  type  with- 
out appreciable  modifications  during  the  incalculable  ages  in 
which  all  nature  has  undergone  so  complete  a  transforma- 
tion.' 

The  conclusions  to  be  arrived  at  seem  to  us  simple. 
Without  doubt  man  lived  in  California,  and  Whitney's  nar- 
rative is  one  more  proof  added  to  those  already  quoted, 
during  the  time  when  the  volcanoes  of  the  Sierra  Nevada 
were  in  full  action,  before  the  great  extension  of  the  glaciers, 
before  the  formation  of  the  valleys  and  the  deep  ravines,  at 
a  period  when  the  flora  and  the  fauna  were  totally  different 
from  those  of  to-day.  But  Whitney  himself  admits  that  if 
the  eruption  of  the  great  mass  of  volcanic  matter  began 
toward  the  Pliocene  period,  it  certainly  lasted  throughout 
the  whole  of  the  post-Pliocene  period,  and  even  during 
recent  limes.  All  initial  or  final  dates  are  therefore  want- 
ing, and  even  if  it  were  possible  to  determine  them  it  would 
be  impossible  to  assert  positively  that  there  had  been  no 
displacement  at  any  given  point,  when  the  ground  had  been 
rent  asunder  by  such  terrible  convulsions  as  volcanic  erup- 
tions. Even  those  who  admit  the  authenticity  of  the  Cala- 
veras skull  should  reserve  their  opinion  as  to  the  period 
from  which  it  dates,  till  the  question  has  been  more  fully 

'  "  The  skull  being  as  nearly  d'^prived  of  its  organic  matter  as  fossil  bones  of 
the  Tertiary  period  usually  are."  Whitney,  p.  271  ;  on  page  269  is  given  the 
analysis. 

'  It  seems  certain,  for  instance,  that  at  the  period  to  which  Whitney  refers 
this  skull,  the  climate  of  California  was  tropical. — "  Proceedings  of  California. 
Acad,  of  Sciences,"  1875,  p.  389. 


)!    1 


MAN  AND    THE  MASTODON. 


45 


!l' 


studied  from  a  scientific  point  of  view,  apart  from  the  fierce 
controversies  that  these  questions  too  often  provoke.  In 
1877  P''of-  March  said  at  Nashville  ("Am.  Ass.  for  the  Ad- 
vancement of  Science  ") :  "  The  evidence  as  it  stands  to-day, 
although  not  conclusive,  seems  to  place  the  appearance  of 
man  in  this  country  in  the  Pliocene  ;  and  the  best  proof  of 
this  has  been  found  on  the  Pacific  coast."  ' 

If,  however,  we  hesitate  as  yet  to  admit  the  existence  of 
man  on  the  American  continent  in  the  Tertiary  period,  it  is 
difficult  to  deny  that  long  centuries  have  rolled  by  since  the 
time  when  these  unknown  men  lived  amongst  animals  as 
little  known  as  themselves.  This  is,  in  the  present  state  of 
pre-historic  science,  the  only  decision  possible.  Other  parts 
of  this  work  will  introduce  the  reader  to  other  race,?  with 
different  tastes,  different  manners,  and  probably  a  different 
origin.  History  and  tradition  are  silent  about  them,  as 
about  their  predecessors,  and  long  and  patient  researches 
are  necessary  to  separate  the  few  still  obscure  facts  from  the 
profound  darkness  enveloping  them.  May  the  difficulties 
of  the  task  be  our  excuse,  if  inevitable  errors  creep  into  our 
narrative. 


\\ 


'No  reasonable  person  who  has  impartially  reviv^wed  the  evidence  brought 
together  by  Whitney,  and  who  saw,  as  we  did,  the  Calaveras  skull  in  its  original 
condiiion,  can  doubt  that  it  was  found,  as  alleged  by  the  discoverers,  in  the 
auriferous  gravels  below  the  lava.  The  only  question  to  which  some  uncer- 
tainty still  attaches  itself  among  geologists  is  that  of  the  true  age  of  these 
gravels  in  geological  time  ;  and  whether  all  the  extinct  species  of  which  re- 
mains are  found  in  them  were  contemporaneous  with  the  deposition  of  the 
gravels,  and  with  the  then  undoubted  presence  of  man. — \Am.  Editor.^ 


M 


I 


■lajiLM-'ii'iiiiti.iit^l.  iA\^_ 


\\ 


'.'.«■ 


CHAPTER  II. 


THE  KITCIIEN-MIDDENS  AND  THE  CAVES. 


illl 


i 


I 


I 


m 

51 


li 


At  the  close  of  the  last  chapter  we  said  that  other  men 
with  different  manners  and  tastes,  perhaps  also  of  different 
origin,  replaced  the  first  inhabitants  of  America.  A  con- 
siderable change  took  place,  and  we  have  not  now  to  deal 
with  nomad  savages,  wandering  without  shelter  in  the  for- 
ests of  the  North  and  the  pampas  of  the  South ;  we  are  to 
make  acquaintance  with  a  numerous  population  living  in  so- 
cial intercourse,  and  dwelling  for  long  periods  in  a  single  lo- 
cality. The  great  difference  in  the  fauna  helps  us  to  realize 
the  importance  of  the  change  that  had  come  about,  and  also 
the  immense  length  of  time  necessary  to  its  accomplishment. 
Though  these  men,  who  doubtless  arrived  in  successive  mi- 
grations, were  still  rude  and  barbarous,  the  permanence  of 
their  homes  was  already  a  great  step  in  advance,  and  atten- 
tive study  enables  us  to  discover  the  germs  of  a  more  ad- 
vanced civilization,  which  would  develop  still  more  rapidly 
among  those  who  should  succeed  them. 

Every  thing  is  of  importance  in  treating  of  the  existence 
of  man  in  those  times,  which  but  yesterday  were  totally  un- 
known. From  this  point  of  view  the  kitchen-  middens  (literally 
kitchen-heaps),  as  the  heaps  of  rubbish  and  offal  of  all  kinds 
which  accumulate  about  the  dwellings  of  man  have  come  to 
be  called,  deserve  special  attention.'  Excavations  in  them 
in  the  different  countries  of  Europe  have  yielded  the  most 
interesting  results.     They  have  revealed  the  every-day  life, 

'  These  heaps  of  rubbish  in  America  are  so  generally  composed  almost  en- 
tirely of  marine  or  fresh-water  shells,  that  the  term  shell-heap,  as  applied  to  them, 
has  here  largely  replaced  the  more  cumbrous  term  derived  from  the  Danish. 

46 


'  i  1 


KITCHEN-MIDDEN S  AND   CA  VES. 


47 


the  food,  the  manners,  the  journeys,  and  the  migrations  of 
pre-historic  men ;  their  progress  can  be  followed  and  their 
gradual  improvement  noted.  The  excavators  have  collected 
hatchets,  knives,  implements  of  all  kinds,  in  stone,  in  horn, 
and  in  bone  ;  fragments  of  pottery,  and  of  charred  wood. 
Amongst  the  cinders  of  these  hearths,  abandoned  for  cen- 
turies, have  been  found  numerous  bones  of  animals  and 
birds,  fish  bones,  shells  of  oysters,  cockles,  and  other  mol- 
lusks,  all  telling  of  the  prolonged  residence  of  man.  No  less 
numerous  are  the  kitchen-middens  or  shell-heaps  in  America, 
and  wherever  excavations  have  been  made  they  have  been 
most  fruitful  in  results.'  Immense  heaps  of  shells,  the  grad- 
ual accumulations  of  man,  stretch  along  the  coasts  of  New- 
foundland, Nova  Scotia,  Massachusetts,  Louisiana,  and 
Nicaragua,  where  deposits  are  described  dating  from  the 
most  remote  antiquity.  They  are  met  with  again  in  the 
Guianas,  Brazil,  and  Patagonia  ,  near  the  mouths  of  the  Ori- 
noco ;  on  the  shores  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  ;  on  the  coasts  of 
the  Pacific,  as  well  as  on  those  of  the  Atlantic  ;  and  the 
shell-mounds  of  Tierra  del  Fuegoand  of  Alaska  can  be  made 
out  from  afar  by  the  navigator,  on  account  of  their  green 
color,  the  herbage  being  darker  and  more  luxuriant  than 
that  of  the  adjacent  surface. 

Some  of  these  shell-heaps  are  of  considerable  dimensions. 
Sir  Charles  Lyell  describes  one  on  St.  Simon's  Island  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Altamaha  River  in  Georgia,  which  covers  ten 
acres  of  ground,  to  a  depth  varying  from  five  to  ten  feet. 
It  is  formed  almost  entirely  of  oyster-shells,  and  excavations 
have  yielded  hatchets,  stone  arrow-heads,  and  some  frag- 
ments of  pottery."*     Another  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  John's 

'  Tlie  report  of  the  Pre-historic  Congruss  held  at  Bologna,  in  1871,  gives  a 
fairly  complete  list  of  the  authors  who  have  written  about  the  American  shell- 
heaps.  See  also  "  Reports  of  the  Teabody  Museum  of  Archeology,  Cambridge, 
Mass.,"  vol.  II.  ;  and  of  the  "  Am.  Association  for  the  Adv.  of  Science,"  Chi- 
cago, I867  ;  Detroit,  1875  ;  and  Wyman's  articles  in  the  American  Xaturalist, 
1868. 

"  "  Second  Visit  to  the  United  States,"  vol.  I.,  p.  152. — "  British  Ass.  Rep. 
for  1859."     Address  of  the  President. 


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48 


PRE-inSTORIC  AMERICA. 


I'    • 


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H\ 


River,  consisting,  like  that  visited  by  Lyell,  of  oyster-shells 
of  extraordinary  size,  is  three  hundred  feet  in  length,  with  a 
width  not  exactly  determined,  but  which  is  certainly  several 
hundred  feet.  The  shell-heaps  of  Florida  and  Alabama  are 
yet  more  considerable.  There  is  one  on  Amelia  Island  of  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  in  extent,  with  a  depth  of  about  three  and  a 
■width  of  nearly  five  hundred  feet.  That  of  Bear  Point  cov- 
ers sixty  acres  of  ground  ;  that  of  Anercerty  Point,  one  hun- 
dred ;  and  that  of  Santa  Rosa,  one  hundred  and  fifty.  Oth- 
ers are  of  a  considerable  height :  lu.tle  mound,  near  Smyr- 
na, is  a  mass  of  shells  attaining  a  height  of  thirty  feet, 
and  many  others  are  more  than  forty  feet  high.'  In  all  these 
shell-heaps  quantities  of  shells  have  been  collected,  although 
much  of  the  ground  they  occupy  has  not  yet  been  examined; 
large  trees,  roots,  tropical  creepers,  and  other  climbing  plants 
covering  them  with  often  impenetrable  thickets. 

All  the  shell-mounds  just  enumerated  are  situated  on  the 
shores  of  the  sea,  or  in  its  immediate  vicinity.  One,  how- 
ever, is  mentioned  fifty  miles  beyond  Mobile,  consisting  almost 
entirely  of  marine  shells.  This  fact  implies  a  considerable 
alteration  in  the  elevation  of  the  shores  since  the  time  of 
pre-historic  men  ;  for  it  is  not  very  likely  that  he  would  have 
taken  the  trouble  to  carry  the  shell-fish  necessary  for  his 
daily  food  to  such  a  distance,  when  it  would  have  been  so 
•easy  to  set  up  his  dwelling-place  close  to  the  beach. 

Dr.  Jones  has  explored  forty  shell-heaps  on  Colonel 
Island,  Georgia."  The  whole  island,  he  tells  us,  is  covered 
with  shell-mounds.  Similar  heaps,  chiefly  formed  of  the 
shells  of  oysters,  clams,  and  mussels,  are  of  very  frequent 
occurrence  in  Maine  and  Massachusetts,  and  excavations 
have  yielded  results  no  less  interesting.  Dr.  Jeffries  Wy- 
man  has  noted  the  rarity  of  stone  implements,  which  are 
replaced  by  articles  of  bone,  which  are  very  common. 
Fragments  of  pottery  are  not  abundant;  the  ornamenta- 
tion, always  coarse,  presents  little  resemblance  to  the  most 

'  Brinton  :  "  Notes  on  the  Floridian  Peninsula."     Philadelphia,  1859. 
*  "Antiquities  of  the  Southern  Indians  and  Georgia  Tribes." 


\ 


KITCHEN-MIDDEXS  AND  CA  FES. 


49 


ancient  European  pottery.  The  ornamentation  was  pro- 
duced by  traceries  made  on  the  soft  clay  either  with  the  point 
of  a  shell,  or  of  a  sharp  stone.'  The  bones  of  animals  are 
numerous.'  Wyman  met  with  those  of  the  elk,  the  rein- 
deer,' the  Virginian  deer  {Cervus  Virginianus),  the  most 
common  of  all ;  the  beaver,  the  seal,  the  mud-turtle,  the 
great  auk,  and  the  wild  turkey.  Except  the  auk  (^Alca  ini- 
pennis),  which  was  before  it?  extinction  only  found  in  the 
extreme  north,  all  these  animals  lived  in  Maine  in  historic 
times.  The  caribou,  though  much  rarer  than  of  old,  is  still 
met  with  in  the  same  region.     The  dog  should  also  be  men- 


FlG.  15. — Various  stone  and  bone  implements  from  California. 

tioned.  Many  bones  bear  marks  of  his  teeth  ;  so  that  he 
lived  with  man  and  was  subject  to  him,  at  least  as  much  so 
as   his  wild  nature  permitted.      Some  of  these   important 

'This  primitive  mode  of  ornamentation  has  been  met  with  in  Missouri,  Illi- 
nois, Ohio,  Tennessee,  and  Florida.     "  Report,  I'eabody  Museum,"  1S72. 

'  In  appendix  B.  we  give  a  complete  list  of  the  mammals,  birds,  reptiles,  fish, 
and  mollusca  found  by  Jeffries  Wyman  in  the  shell-heaps  of  Mount  Desert  and 
Couch's  Cove,  Eagle  Hill  and  Cotuit  Port. 

'  The  reindeer  or  caribou  (Rangifer  caribou)  is  still  found  within  the  con- 
fines of  Maine  ;  but  the  wild  turkey  has  become  virtually  extinct  in  New  Eng- 
land. The  elk  is  not  found  nearer  than  the  Alleghany  Mountains,  and  the 
great  auk  has  retreated  beyond  the  confines  of  the  United  States,  if  not  extinct. 
— Wyman,  "  Report,  Peabody  Museum,"  186S,  p.  11. 


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'         .'M' 


'    ;;''li; 


50 


PRE.HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


excavations  were  made  under  the  supervision  of  American 
anthropologists,  after  the  meeting  in  1868,  at  Chicago,  of  the 
Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science.  A  mound 
opened  on  that  occasion,  covered  an  area  of  ten  acres.  Oyster- 
shells,  cod  bones,  some  of  the  bones  of  a  dog,  and  those  of  a 
large  deer  were  found;  all  relics  bearing  witness  to  the 
presence  of  men  living  entirely  on  the  products  of  fisheries 
and  of  the  chase,  and  who  as  yet  were  strangers  to  all 
agriculture. 

The  shell-heaps  are  also  frequently  met  with  in  California, 
and  some  districts  near  San  Francisco  are  literally  covered 
with  them.     One  of  them,  situated  near  San  Pablo  (Contra 


Fig.  16. — Stone  mortar  (California). 

Costa  County),  is  more  than  a  mile  long  by  half  a  mile  wide. 
The  shells  of  which  it  is  made  up,  chiefly  those  of  the  oyster 
and  the  mussel,  have  all  been  subjected  to  the  action  of  fire.* 
Excavations  to  a  depth  of  twenty-five  feet  in  a  similar 
mound  have  yielded  arrow-points  and  hammers.  Among 
others  have  been  found  thousands  of  bone  implements  (fig. 
15),  the  largest  of  which  are  eight  inches  long.     Mixed  with 

'  Foster,  "  Prehistoric  Races  of  the  United  States,"  p.  163.     Bancroft,  voL 
IV.,  p.  709. 


\ 


UitgBw.li. 


^HiMBaa 


KITCIIEN-MIDDENS  AND  CA  VES. 


51 


these  tools  lay  human  remains,  which  have  unfortunately 
been  dispersed  without  any  benefit  to  science.' 

Dr.  Yates  sent  a  complete  collection  of  the  objects  found 
by  him  in  Alameda  County  to  the  Smithsonian  Institution 
at  Washington."  It  includes  several  large  stone  mortars 
(fig.  16),  already  alluded  to,  some  implements  chiefly  in- 
tended for  boring,  pipes,  and  a  rough  representation  of  a 
phallus.  This  last  fact  must  be  noted,  for  we  shall  see  that 
discoveries  of  this  description  are  rare  in  America  ;  this  rar- 
ity contrasts  strangely  with  the  too  frequent  obscenities  of 
Greek  or  Roman  art. 

The  excavations  in  Oregon  were  directed  by  Paul  Schu- 
macher."    He   made   an   important   collection   of    mortars, 


Fig.  17. — Quartz  scraper. 

pipes  of  inferior  workmanship,  pieces  of  pottery,  little  cups 
of  soapstone,*  daggers,  knives,  flint  arrows,  attempts  at  sculp- 
ture, and  bone  or  shell  implements.     One  of  these  cxcava- 

'  Bancroft,  vol  IV,,  p.  711. 

*  "  Smithsonian  Report,"  l86g,  p.  36. 

*  "  Researches  on  the  Kjoki<enmocklings  of  the  Coast  of  Oregon  and  in  the 
Santa  Barbara  Islands  and  Adjacent  Mainland." — "  Bui.  U.  S.  Geog. 
Survey,"  vol.  III.     "  Report,  Teahody  Museum,"  1878. 

*  On  the  island  of  Santa  Catalina  Schumacher  found  a  quarry  of  soapstone 
or  steatite  where  tlie  ancient  inhabitants  had  set  up  a  regular  manufactory  of 
pots  and  dishes.  They  are  found  in  all  stages  of  production,  and  about  them 
may  be  picked  up  the  tools  used  in  fashioning  them.  Several  similar  dis- 
coveries in  New  England  are  mentioned.  A  steatite  or  soapstone  quarry  ex- 
isted at  Christiana,  Lancaster  County,  Pennsylvania.  More  than  2,000  stone 
implements  and  a  number  of  great  stones,  which  seem  to  have  served  as  ham- 
mers, have  been  collected  there.  The  same  process  was  employed  as  in  the 
island  of  Santa  Catalina  ;  the  stone  was  roughly  hewn  on  the  spot,  then  taken 
from  the  quarry  and  given  to  the  workman  who  finished  it  off,  giving  it  the  re- 
quired form. 


i 


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ill 
i  \ 


j,;^  ; 


52 


PRE-HISTOKIC   AMERICA. 


% !  ill' 


1" 


1  •  ' 

1  i 

tions  brought  to  light  thirty  human  skulls  and  two  almost 
complete  skeletons.  The  dead  had  been  laid  beneath  the 
dwelling-place  of  the  living. 

Shell-heaps  also  abound  on  Vancouver  Island,  according 
to  a  manuscript  quoted  by  Bancroft  (vol.  IV.,  pp.  737,  741, 
ct  scq.).  Amongst  heaps  of  shells  have  been  collected  ham- 
mers, arrow-points,  wooden  clubs,  and  a  sort  of  knife  carved 
out  of  whalebone.  Amongst  the  debris  lay  skeletons.  One 
of  them  had  a  shell  bracelet  on  his  arm,  and  a  stone  arrow- 
head was  sticking  in  one  of  his  bones.  At  Esquimalt  a  dish 
was  found  with  two  handles,  one  of  them  representing  the 
figure  of  a  man,  the  other  the  head  of  an  animal.  As  we 
shall  see,  exactly  similar  articles  arc  met  with  in  the  mounds 
of  Central  America.  That  of  Esquimalt  probably  dates 
from  the  same  period  as  the  mounds  with  which  the  island 
abounds,  some  composed  of  pebbles,  others  of  clay  or  sand. 
Huge  flat  stones,  regular  menhirs,'  are  often  placed  verti- 
cally on  these  mounds ;  venerable  trees  overshadow  them, 
bearing  witness  to  their  antiquity.  Newfoundland  was  dis- 
covered in  149 1  by  the  Venetian,  John  Cabot,  who  com- 
manded an  expedition  sent  out  at  the  expense  of  Henry 
VII.  of  England  ;  perhaps,  also,  for  that  question  is  still  un- 
decided, by  the  Portuguese  navigator,  Cortercal.  It  is  cer- 
tain, however,  that  when  it  was  discovered,  the  coast  of  the 
island  appeared  to  be  uninhabited.  The  numerous  mounds 
alone  attested  the  presence  of  man,  and  these  mounds,  with 
the  stone  implements  they  concealed,  must  therefore  date 
from  a  period  previous  to  the  arrival  of  Europeans. 

We  must  also  mention  the  pits  explored  by  Mr.  F.  W. 
Putnam "  and  others  near  Madisonvillc,  in  the  Little  Miami 
valley.  These  pits,  which  are  from  three  to  four  feet  in 
diameter  and  from  four  to  seven  feet  deep,  are  filled  with 
ashes  arranged  in  thin  layers  and  mixed  with  gravel  and  char- 

'  A  British  word  signifying  long  stones,  generally  used  to  denote  the  tall  up- 
right stones  erected,  for  some  purpose  not  now  known  with  certainty,  by  the 
ancient  Celts. 

'  Putnam,  one  of  the  most  eminent  anthropologists  of  the  United  States, 
mentions  having  explored  more  than  400  of  those  pits. 


iy 


•|lljlim»  .  inn.  I.  . 


KITCHEN.MIDDENS  AND  CAVES. 


53 


,  up- 
the 


coal.  From  top  to  bottom  occur  numerous  bones  of  rep- 
tiles, fish,  birds,  and  mammals.  The  bones  of  the  deer,  elk, 
and  bear  had  been  broken  to  get  out  the  marrow ;  shells, 
too,  chiefly  fresh-water  mussels  of  the  genus  Unio,  were  col- 
lected ;  some  were  pierced  to  serve  as  ornaments ;  with 
them  were  fragments  of  pottery,  implements  made  of  bone, 
the  antlers  of  the  deer  and  the  elk,  arrow-points,  scrapers, 
hammers,  polished  stone  axes,  copper  ornaments,  beads,  and 
stone  pipes.  At  the  bottom  of  one  of  these  pits  Dr.  Metz 
found  a  large  quantity  of  carbonized  grains  of  corn,  covered 
with  corn  husks  and  a  matting  of  reeds,  also  carbonized. 
These  bear  witness  to  a  people  not  only  sedentary  but  agri- 
cultural. 

The  sambaquis  are  formed  of  the  remains  of  the  food  of  a 
people  who  for  centuries  inhabited  the  coasts  of  Brazil.' 
There,  as  in  a  book,  we  can  read  of  the  customs,  usages,  and 
incidents  of  the  daily  life  of  this  extinct  race.  Each  bed  of 
shells "  or  of  cinders  is  a  page,  on  which  facts  written  in 
stones  and  ashes  speak  for  themselves,  and  where  the  drama 
of  life  is  retraced  by  the  broken  bones  of  the  victims. 
From  a  heap  on  the  banks  of  the  Suguassu  River  numerous 
human  relics  have  been  taken,  the  fractures  in  the  bones 
showing  clearly  that  they  had  been  broken  to  get  out  the 
marrow.  The  cannibalism  of  these  ancient  inhabitants  of 
Brazil  need  not  surprise  us,  for  at  the  present  day  there  are 
in  this  empire,  so  advanced  in  many  respects,  no  less  than 
ten  cannibal  tribes,  numbering  altogether  some  70,0(X)  or 
80,000  souls.' 

The  sambaquis  often  attain  a  considerable  height.  Captain 
Burton,  who  is,  it  is  true,  inclined  to  exaggerate,  speaks  of 

'  Rev.  Arch.,  vol.  XV.  ist.  series,  Paris,  1867.  Cli.  Wiener  :  "  Estudos  sobre 
los  sambaquis  do  sul  do  Brazil  "  {Archives  de  Mtiseo  Nacional  de  Kio  de  Janeiro, 
vol.  I.,  1876). 

'  The  mollusca  of  which  they  are  composed  are  chiefly  bivalve  testacea,  espe- 
cially shells  of  the  genus  Corbtila.  Oyster  and  whelk  shells  are  also  met 
with. 

*Dr.  Moure  :  "  Les  Indiens  de  la  Province  de  Matto  Grosso  "  ;  Dr.  Rath  de 
Ran  Paolo :  "Letter  Addressed  to  the  Anglo-Brazilian  Times." 


54 


PKE-inSTORIC  AMERICA. 


I     .  I 


I       .      ■' 


'    I 


having  seen  one  no  loss  than  one  hundred  feet  high.  One 
thing  is  certain,  the  shells  forming  these  hillocks  are  so  nu- 
merous that  a  single  sambaqui  has  for  more  than  two 
centuries  not  only  supplied  all  the  lime  needed  by  the  little 
neighboring  town  of  Nostra-Scnhora-da-Gloria,  but  yielded 
considerable  quantities  for  exportation. 

In  the  region  of  La  Plata  paraderos  are  met  with  some- 
what resembling  kitchen-middens.  Both  mark  the  sites  of 
human  dwellings,  and  the  ai)sencc  of  all  traces  of  disturbance 
excludes  the  idea  of  their  having  been  cemeteries  to 
which  they  were  at  first  likened.  Moreno  and  Zeballos 
have  described  those  in  several  parts  of  Buenos  Ayres ; 
Ameghino  in  his  turn  describes  those  of  the  banks  of  the 
Marco-Diaz,  the  Lujan,  and  the  Frias.' 

Numerous  mammal  bones  are  scattered  about  in  certain 
places,  often  covering  a  considerable  area.'  The  long  bones 
are  split,  others  show  grooves  and  cuts ;  nearly  all  have  been 
subjected  to  the  action  of  fire.  With  these  bones  have 
been  picked  up  stone  implements,  chiefly  arrow-points  (fig. 
l8)  and  fragments  of  clumsy  and  badly  baked  pottery,  show- 
ing, however,  traces  of  artificial  coloration.  Heaps  of  burnt 
earth  and  charcoal  cinders  tell  clearly  of  the  hearths  of 
men.  All  the  bones,  whether  of  mammals  or  birds,  are 
of  species,  such  as  the  deer  and  llama,  still  extant  in  South 
America ;  nowhere  are  any  bones  found,  such  as  those 
of  frequent  occurrence  in  the  pampas  formation,  belonging 
to  extinct  animals.  The  paraderos  must  not  therefore 
be  confounded  with  those  formations,  and  their  much  more 
modern  character  brings  them  near  to  that  of  the  ordinary 
shell-heaps. 

Recent  discoveries '  have  lately  confirmed  this  conclusion. 
Excavations  in  a  tumulus  of  elliptical  form  *  on  the  Parana 

'"La  Antiguedad  del  Hombre  en  el  Plata,"  vol.  I.,  p.  302,  etc. 

*A  parade  10  on  the  banks  of  the  Marco-Diaz  covers  an  area  of  612  1  ■  j<«t 
yards. 

'  Zeballos  :  "  Un  Tumulus  pre-historique  de  Buenos  Ayres  "  ( AVt',  d'A/.  \, 
1878,  p.  577). 

*  The  greatest  diameter  is  260  ft.  ;  the  smallest  105  feet.  The  height  is  about 
eight  feet. 


hi    I 


KITCHES'.MIDDENS  AND  CAVES, 


55 


near  the  port  of  Campana,  have  brought  to  light  a  great 
many  objects  which  bear  witness  to  an  advanced  state  of 
culture.  There  are  weapons  and  tools  of  quartz  or  of  blue 
granite,  often  of  remarkable  workmanship,  hand-mills  very 
like  those  still  in  use  in  the  interior  of  Africa,  implements  of 
deer-horn,  '  whistles  of  venado  wood,  and  above  all  a 
considerable  number  of  fragments  of  pottery,'  very  superior 
in  execution  to  any  hitherto  noticed.  Some  of  these  frag- 
ments are  colored  red,  others  are  decorated  with  designs  or 
ornamentation. 

Among  these  pieces  of  pottery  we  must  mention  some 
very  close  imitations  of  animals,  especially  a  parrot's  head 
very  true  to  life.     The  works  of  man  lay  mixed  together  in  a 


I 


Fig.   i8.— Arrow-points  from  tlie  paraderos  of  Patagonia, 

considerable  accumulation  of  large  pieces  of  charcoal,  fish,  and 
mammal  bones.  It  is  evident  that  this  mound  concealed  one 
or  more  primitive  hearths;  and  that  these  hearths,  accord- 
ing to  a  custom  that  we  meet  with  in  many  different 
races,  became  burial-places  ;  the  discovery  of  several  human 
skeletons  leaves  no  doubt  on  this  point. 

So  far  we  have  spoken  only  of  the  shell-heaps  near  the 
sea-coast,  and  formed  of  marine  shells.  Similar  heaps  are 
met  with  on  the  banks  of  streams  and  rivers,  made  of  the 
shells  of  such  fresh-water  or  even  of  terrestrial  mollusca,  as 
man  might  use  for  food.  In  Brazil,  of  which  we  are  now 
speaking,  there  are  sambaquis  thirty-seven  and  a  half  miles 

'Cervus  rufus  and  C.  campcstris. 

'  Dr.  Zeballos  speaks  of  more  than  3,000  frajjments  ;  among  them  he  men- 
tions twenty  ollas  or  jars  still  intact. 


t 
!   I 


I  j 


\      .'il 


'ii     I 


Ljt  -'■■iHTTfia 


^._ii 


I 


Ilk 


f 


V, 


V 


56 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


from  the  coast,  and  Professor  Hartt  has  described  one  at 
Taperinha,'  near  Santarem,  which  he  considers  very  ancient, 
and  which  is  entirely  made  up  of  river-shells,  mixed  with 
fragments  of  pottery,  cinders,  and  the  bones  of  different 
animals. 

On  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi  and  its  tributaries  White 
has  also  recognized  shell-heaps,  composed  of  fluviatile  mol- 
lusks,  nearly  all  belonging  to  the  family  of  Naiadce,  and 
chiefly  to  the  genus  Unio.  Complete  success  has  rewarded 
his  persevering  researches  in  the  states  of  Minnesota,  Iowa, 
Illinois,  Missouri,  and  Indiana."  The  heaps  excavated  by 
him  are  much  smaller  than  those  situated  on  the  sea- 
coast  ;  the  largest  are  not  more  than  about  one  hundred 
yards  long  by  four  to  five  broad,  and  about  three  to  six 
feet  deep.  That  of  Keosauqua  (Iowa)  rests  on  alluvial 
soil,  and  in  it  have  been  observed  fragments  of  stone  torn 
from  the  neighboring  rocks,  bearing  traces  of  fire,  and  frag- 
ments of  pottery  of  rude  workmanship,  mixed  with  large 
grains  of  sand  and  ornamented  with  lines  traced  with  a 
pointed  bone  or  stone.  In  this  same  shell-heap  White  col- 
'ected  flint-chips,  arrow-points,  and  a  serpentine  hatchet,  with 
numerous  bones  of  the  Virginia  deer.'  They  had  been  used 
as  food  by  man,  for  the  long  bom  s  which  contain  marrow  had 
been  split  open,  evidently  for  the  sake  of  extracting  it.  In 
other  heaps  at  Sabula  and  Bellcvue,  Iowa,  White  was  able  to 
make  out  the  method  employed  by  these  men  in  cooking  the 
shell-fish  which  formed  their  chief  nourishment.  They  dug 
holes  in  the  ground  about  one  foot  in  diameter  and  of  cor- 
responding depth,  in  which  they  lighted  fires.  The  charcoal, 
ashes,  and  shells  found  in  each  one  of  thcie  holes  proves  this 
beyond  a  doubt. 


:i. 


"  "Report,  Peabody  Museum,"  :-"3,  p. 
""On   Artificial  Sliell-heaps  of  i'resh-water 


Mollusks  ;  Am.  Association, 
Portland  ^Maine),  1873.  Very  ancient  shell-heap  .  are  also  mentioned  as  exist- 
ing ill  Tennessee,  especially  at  Chattanooga,  and  at  Mussel-Shoals.  Colonel 
Whittlesey,  whose  name  is  an  authority  in  America  on  all  these  questions,  ex- 
pressed regret  a  few  years  ago  that  these  heaps  had  not  been  excavated. 

'  In  Appendix  C.  we  give  White's  list  of  the  chief  mammals,  t'.sh,  and  mol- 
lusca  which  he  found  in  the  mounds  he  examined. 


u 


KITCHEN-MIDDENS  AND   CA  VES. 


IT 


Jeffries  Wyman  describes  the  river  shell-heaps  of  Florida 
with  as  much  care  as  docs  White  those  of  the  North.'  They 
are  mostly  mounds  exactly  similar  to  those  of  the  coast,  only 
entirely  made  up  of  fresh-water  shells,  associated  with  a  few 
rare  bones  of  the  Virginian  deer,  the  oppossum,  the  raccoon, 
and  some  remains  of  birds.  Some  of  these  heaps  also  con- 
tain shells  of  AmpuUaria  and  Pahidina^  hardly  suitable  for 
food,  and  rejected  with  disdain  by  the  present  Indians.  One 
of  the  most  remarkable  heaps  is  situated  at  Silver-Spring,  on 
the  western  side  of  Lake  George.  It  is  the  largest  of  those 
visited  by  Wyman,  in  the  valley  of  the  St.  John's  River.  It 
covers  an  area  of  twenty  acres ;  its  height  i?  very  variable  ; 
here  it  rises  to  no  less  than  twenty  feet,  there  it  sinks  to  two 
or  three,  in  proportion  doubtless  to  the  number  of  the  in- 
habitants and  the  length  of  their  stay.  It  is  difficult  to  un- 
derstand how  man  can  have  collected  such  quantities  of  these 
mollusks,  which  now  seem  rare  alike  in  the  lake  and  the  river. 
We  must  therefore  suppose  that  they  were  much  more 
numerous  in  past  centuries,  and  have  disappeared  in  the  great 
struggle  for  existence  which  has  been  so  fiercely  maintained 
in  every  age  and  in  every  country.  This  is  no  exceptional 
instance ;  the  oysters  of  gigantic  size,  the  shells  of  which 
form  the  vast  deposits  on  the  Damariscotta  River,  of  Maine, 
are  now  very  rare,  and  the  same  fact  has  been  observed  at 
Cape  Cod  and  Cotuit  Port.  Of  the  shells  found  in  the 
Danish  kitchen-midden,  those  of  oysters  were  the  most 
abundant,  and  they  are  now  but  very  poorly  represented  in 
the  Baltic.  Another  consequence  of  the  less  favorable  bio- 
logical conditions  now  enjoyed  by  the  oyster  is  that  it  is 
diminished  in  size,  and  it  is  the  same  with  the  mollusks 
of  Lake  George  and  the  St.  John's  River  as  with  the  oysters 

'  "  Fresh-water  Shell-heaps  of  the  St.  John  River"  ;  American  N<Uuralist, 
Jan.,  1868.  "  Report,  Peabody  Museum,"  1874.  Wyman  remarks  that  the  most 
ancient  beds  of  the  Florida  kitchen-middens  never  contain  specimens  of  pottery. 

"  Both  are  univalves.  The  former  lives  in  warm  latitudes  only  ;  its  shell  is 
globular,  the  vhorls  ventricose,  and  with  a  wide  aperture  bounded  by  an  un- 
reflected  labrum.  Paliuiiiia  resembles  Ampullaria,  but  the  shell  is  longer  an  1 
more  slender,  and  generally  more  solid. 


If' 


w 

• 

' 

,    'I '  *' 


.f 


!     t 


38 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


of  Maine.  It  would  be  easy  to  multiply  instances,  proving 
the  incessant  st "uggle  of  nature,  of  which  we  are  only  now 
beginning  to  discern  the  traces. 

The  fact  that  the  men  who  made  these  heaps  of  rubbish, 
which  are  now  the  sole  witnesses  to  their  existence,  fed  upon 
mollusks  now  rejec*"ed  by  the  Indians  themselves,  so  far 
from  particular  with  f^gard  to  their  food,  is  of  a  piece  with 
the  coarseness  of  their  potteries.  Wyman  tells  us  that 
amongst  the  thousands  of  fragments  he  examined,  none  are 
of  such  skilful  workmanship  or  of  such  elegant  ornamenta- 
tion as  those  of  the  mounds  of  Mississippi,  or  those  he  him- 
self picked  up  in  the  sepulchres  of  Cedar  Keys,  or  in  the 
shell-heaps  of  Fernandina  and  of  St.  John's  Bluff,  on  the  sea- 
coast. 

Every  thing  goes  to  prove  that  these  men  were  in  a  low 
state  of  culture  ;  wc  need  not  therefore  wonder  to  find  that 
they  practised  cannibalism.  We  have  already  noted  its  ex- 
istence amongst  the  nomad  tribes  of  Brazil ; '  as  early  as  1861, 
Jeffries  Wyman  noticed,  in  an  excavation  made  on  the 
shores  of  Lake  Monroe,  some  long  human  bones  (femur, 
tibia,  humerus)  broken  into  pieces  a  few  inches  long  and 
mixed  with  bones  of  deer  broken  in  exactly  the  same  way." 
His  interest  once  aroused,  he  paid  especial  attention  to  this 
question  in  his  later  researches,  and  he  had  soon  ten  very 
characteristic  examples,  which  left  no  doubt  in  his  mind  as 
to  the  existence  of  cannibalism  in  Florida,  at  the  period 
during  which  man  collected  about  his  dwelling  the  heaps  of 
rubbish  :o  which  we  have  applied  the  name  of  shell-heaps. 

It  is  evident  that  the  human  bones  did  not  come  from  a 
burying-place;  no  skeleton  was  complete  ;  the  remains  of 
several  individuals  were  mixed  in  the  greatest  confusion  ;  all 
the  bones,  especially  the  long  ones  containing  marrow,  were 
broken  like  those  found  near  LaK  .  Monroe,  and  doubtless 

'  "  Omnes  cum  magna  voluptate  vescuntur,"  says  Osorio,  of  the  natives  of 
Brazil,  speaking  of  their  preuilection  for  human  flesh.  Dc  Rebus  Emnianuelis 
Regis  Lusitanuc,  Cokinipe  Agrippinte,  1574. 

"  "  Human  Remains  in  the  Shell-heaps  of  the  St.  John's  River  (East  Florida)  ; 
Cannibalism. " — "  Report,  Peabody  Museum,"  vol.  I.,  p.  26. 


' 


1     ! 


I 


KirCHEN-MIDDENS  AMD   CAVES. 


59 


for  the  same  reason  as  those  of  the  animals,  such  as  the  deer 
or  the  alligator,  which  these  people  used  as  food.  The  in- 
teresting excavations  at  Osceola  Mound  have  since  confirmed 
Wyman's  conjectures.  The  remains  of  men  and  animals 
were  inclosed  in  very  hard  breccia,  somewhat  like  that  of  the 
European  caves  which  have  yielded  such  important  results. 
From  this  breccia  Wyman  extracted  two  femora,  belonging 
to  two  different  individuals ;  on  one  of  them  he  noticed  an 
incision  made  round  the  bone  in  order  to  break  it  more 
easily.  On  the  other  femur,  the  incision  may  have  existed, 
but  it  is  not  sufficiently  marked  to  be  stated  with  certainty. 

The  learned  professor  also  mentions  a  human  bone  found 
at  Ipswich,  Massachusetts,  with  evident  marks  of  workman- 
ship upon  it. 

While  Jeffries  Wyman  was  proving  the  existence  of  can- 
nibalism in  the  southern  states,  Manly  Hardy  announced 
the  same  fact  with  regard  to  New  England.'  In  a  shell- 
heap  on  the  coast  of  Maine  he  discovered  thirty  or  forty  long 
bones,  the  femur,  tibia,  humerus,  radius,  a  sternum,  a  pelvis, 
and  two  human  skulls.  Among  these  remains  there  were 
literally  no  vertebrae,  ribs  or  little  bones  ;  none  of  the  human 
fragments  corresponded  with  each  other  in  such  a  manner  as 
to  make  it  possible  to  put  together  even  part  of  the  skeleton. 
The  long  bones  were  broken,  and  the  excavations  yielded 
bones  of  the  beaver  and  the  moose  mixed  with  the  human 
bones  broken  in  the  same  way.  There  were  also  bird  and 
fish-bones,  numerous  sea-shells,  some  fragments  of  pottery, 
a  stone  arrow  and  a  bone  needle.  In  many  places  heaps  cf 
cinders  marked  the  hearth  of  the  cannii.l,  where  he  had  pre- 
pared his  horrible  meals. 

Such  facts,  sad  as  they  are  for  humanity,  cannot  surprise 
us.  In  historic  times  we  find  man  feeding  on  human  flesh, 
even  in  the  midst  of  abundance,  and  that  when  most  animals 
show  a  singular  repugnance  to  eating  the  flesh  of  one  of  their 
own  species.      Herodotus  "  tells    us  of  the    cannibalism    of 

*  "  Report,  Peabody  Museum,"  J877,  vol.  TI.,  p.  ig7. 

"  Book  IV.,  chap.  XVIII.,  XXVI.,  etc.     These  people  probably  inhabited 
Central  Russia, 


\\ 


'ir.J 


It 


w 


I 

f 

'^, 

|!f^ 


I  ! 


\'  Br 


60 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


several  of  the  people  in  the  neighboring  countries  of  Scythia, 
amongst  the  Androphagi  and  the  Issedonians,  for  instance. 
Aristotle  relates  it  of  several  peoples  on  the  borders  of  the 
Euxine.'  Diodorus  Siculus  mentions  it  amongst  the  Gala- 
tians,"  and  Strabo,  in  his  turn,  speaking  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Ireland,  says:  "They  are  more  savage  than  the  Britons, 
feeding  on  human  flesh,  *  *  *  and  deeming  it  commenda- 
ble to  devour  their  deceased  parents."  °  In  the  ancient  tombs 
of  Asiatic  Georgia,  dating  from  the  eighth  to  the  second 
century,  B.  C,  boiled  or  charred  human  bones  are  found,  the 
remains,  doubtless,  of  victims  devoured  by  those  who  as- 
sisted in  the  feasts  which  formed  an  essential  part  of  the 
funeral  rites.* 

St.  Jerome,  in  the  fourth  century  A.  D.,  asserts  that  in 
Gaul  he  saw  some  Attacotes,  descended  from  a  savage 
Scotch  tribe,  who  lived  upon  human  flesh,  notwithstanding 
they  possessed  great  herds  of  swine,  oxen,  and  sheep,  to 
which  their  immense  forests  supplied  excellent  pasturage.* 
How  can  we  be  surprised  to  find  this  degrading  practice 
amongst  savage  tribes,  when  in  the  golden  age  of  Rome  the 
courtiers  of  the  Emperor  Commodus,  according  to  Galen,  ate 
human  flesh  in  a  refinement  of  gluttony,'  and  though  the 
Scandinavian  kitchen-middens  show  no  trace  of  cannibalism, 
Adam  of  Brennan,  who  lived  in  the  eleventh  century  and 

'  "  Treatise  on  Government,"  book  VIII. 

""  BiblicAl  History,"  book  V.,  chap.  XXXII. 

"Strabo,  "  Geography,"  book  IV.,  ch.  v.,  pp.  298-9.  (Hamilton's  transla- 
tion, 1854.) 

*  Congress  Arch,  de  Kazan,  1877. 

^  "  Quid  loquar  de  ceteris  nationibus,  quum  ipse  adolescentulus  in  Gallia 
viderim  Attacotos,  gentem  Britannicam,  humanis  vesci  carnibus  et  quum  per 
sylvas  porconim  grcges  et  armentorum  pecudumque  repcriunt,  puerorum  nates 
et  feminarum  papiUas,  solera  abscindere,  et  has  solas  ciborum  delicias  arbi- 
trari."  Hier.,  Opera,  vol.  II.,  p.  335,  coll.  Migne,  vol.  XXII.  Richard  of 
Cirencester  says  that  the  Attacotes  lived  on  the  banks  of  the  Clyde  beyond  the 
great  wall  of  Hadrian. 

'Commodus  lived  from  161  10  192  A.D.  We  take  this  fact  from  Bachelet's 
"  Dictionnaire  des  Sciences  morales  et  politque."  We  might  add  these  lines  of 
Juvenal:  "...  Sed  qui  mordere  cadaver  sustinuit,  nil  unquam  hac  came 
iibentiusedlt."    (Sat.  XV.,  v.,  87.) 


If  11 


I 


11 


KITCHEN.MIDDENS  AND   CAVES. 


6l 


preached  Christianity  at  the  Court  of  King  Sven  Ulfsen 
represents  the  Danes  of  his  time  as  wearing  the  skins  of 
beasts,  hunting  the  aurochs'  and  the  elk,  imitating  the  cries 
of  animals,  and  devouring  their  fellow-creatures.' 

Examples  also  abound  in  America,  and  the  death  of  the 
man  to  be  eaten  was  very  often  accompanied  by  horrible 
tortures,  unknown  among  the  natives  of  the  other  conti- 
nent. The  accounts  of  travels  published  by  Bry  contain 
many  details  of  the  ways  in  which  the  savages  of  Guiana 
were  accustomed  to  prepare,  cook,  and  eat  the  bodies  of 
their  victims."  In  their  first  feeble  effort  to  reach  Peru  by 
way  of  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  in  1524,  Pizarro  and  his 
companions  one  day  entered  an  Ind'an  village  from  which 
the  terrified  inhabitants  fled  precipitately  at  their  approach, 
leaving  the  human  flesh  they  were  cooking  before  the  fire.* 
The  Mexicans  indulged  in  these  hideous  repasts  on  all  their 
feast  days.  The  cai)tive  was  given  up  to  the  warrior  who 
had  made  him  prisoner,  and  the  friends  of  the  conqueror 
were  invited  to  a  joyful  feast.  It  was  not,  says'  Prescott,'^ 
the  meal  of  starving  wretches,  but  a  refined  banquet,  pre- 
pared with  all  the  art  the  Mexicans  could  bring  to  bear 
upon  it.  The  allies  of  the  Spaniards,  after  the  siege  of 
Mexico,  ate  the  flesh  of  their  enemies,  and  the  besieged 
sacrificed  in  the  honor  of  the  god  of  war  numerous  victims, 
amongst  whom  Cortes  often  recognized  one  of  his  soldiers, 
from  the  whiteness  of  the  skin.  After  the  sacrifice  the 
bodies  were  cut  up,  and  the  flesh  distributed  to  the  people. 

The  Caribs,  like   the   Fijians,  were  careful   to  fatten  the 

'  The  Bos  Unis  or  Bison  of  Poland. 

"  Sch'vciiiii's  i'rgcsc/iic/i/c',  p.  341. 

' "  CoUectiones  pcregrinationum  in  Indiam  Occidentalem,"  XXV.,  partes 
comprehensoe  a  Th.  de  Bry  et  a  M.  Merian  publicata;,  Francofurti  ad  Moenum, 
I5QO,  1634.  "liiesil  voy.  de  J.  .Stadius  IIesous,"(Part  IIL.iip.  71,  81,  89,  125 
and  127).  "  Voyage  de  Joannes  Lenis  de  Hurgundus,"  part  3,  p.  213.  See 
also  the  numerous  facts  collected  by  Wyman,  "Report,  Peabody  Museum," 
1S64. 

*  Prescott :    "  History  of  the  Conquest  of  Peru,"  p.  96,  1S54. 

"  Prescott  :  "  Hist,  of  the  Conquest  of  Mexico,"  Philadelphia,  1874,  vol.  I., 
!>•  31- 


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r RE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


unfortunate  victims  they  meant  to  cat.'  Cannibalism  existed 
amongst  the  Algonquins,  Iroquois,  the  Maumis,  the  Kicka- 
poos,  and  many  other  tribes,  and  the  Jesuits,  who  were 
often  witnesses  of  the  feasts  in  which  human  flesh  was  the 
only  food  supphcd,  have  handed  down  to  us  an  account  of 
them."  One  shudders  with  horror  at  the  tortures  invented 
by  the  inc^cnuity  '^f  man.  Among  some  Indian  tribes  these 
tortures  began  several  days  before  the  final  sacrifice. 
Lighted  firebrands  were  applied  to  every  part  of  the  body  ; 
the  nails  of  the  fingers  and  toes  were  wrenched  off ;  the 
flesh  was  torn,  and  burning  splinters  plunged  into  the  gaping 
wounds ;  the  victim  was  scalped  and  burning  coals  applied 
to  the  spot.  Women"  and  children  were  not  the  least  eager 
amongst  the  torturers,  and  when  the  sufferer  at  last  expired, 
his  breast  was  opened,  and  if  he  had  died  bravely  the  heart 
was  taken  out,  cut  in  pieces,  and  distributed  to  the  young 
warriors  of  the  tribe.  They  also  drank  the  still  smoking 
blood,  hoping  to  inoculate  themselves  with  the  courage  of 
which  they  had  just  had  proof.  The  trunk,  limbs,  and  head 
were  roasted  or  boiled  ;  all  gorged  themselves  with  the 
horrible  food,  and  the  day  ended  with  dances  and  song 
which  gayly  finished  off  the  feast.^ 

In  our  own  day,  even,  sailors  and  travellers  have  told  of 
similar  scenes.  The  Apaches,  to  a  very  recent  date, 
were  accustomed  to  treat  their  prisoners  with  a  ferocity 
equal  to  that  of  their  ancestors.  The  inhabitants  of  Terra 
del  Fuego  have  at  least  as  an  excuse  the  wretched  existence 
they  lead,  in  a  country   almost   destitute  of  all   the   neces- 

'  Peter  Martyr  d'  Anghiera  :  "  De  Rebus  Oceanicis  et  Orbe  Novo,  Decades, 
I.,  Book  I. 

'  P.  Hennepin  :  "  Description  de  la  Louisiane,"  Paris,  i868,  pp.  65,  68, 
and  69. 

•"On  this  occasion  it  is  always  observed  that  the  women  are  more  cruel 
than  the  men."  Sciioolcraft :  "Ethnological  Researches  Respecting  the  Red 
Men  of  America,"  vol.  III.,  p.  i8g. 

*  La  Polhieric :  "  Ilistoire  de  I'Americjue,"  Paris,  1723,  p.  23.  Father 
Jean  de  Brel)euf:  "  Voyage  dans  la  nouveile  France  occidental."  He  himself 
perislicd  under  such  tortures  as  those  he  had  described.  Barth.  de  Vimont's 
"  Relation,"  Paris,  1642,  p.  46. 


KITCHEN-MIDDENS  AND  CAVES. 


63 


saries  of  life.  The  expeditions  of  these  miserable  savages, 
of  which  Captain  Fitzroy's  description  '  is  most  melancholy 
reading,  were  always  made  for  the  sake  of  getting  prisoners  ; 
when  they  failed,  and  hunger  became  pressing,  the  old 
women  of  the  tribe  were  seized,  roasted  at  a  roaring  fire, 
and  pieces  of  the  flesh  distributed  to  the  warriors.  Of  late 
years,  however,  a  better  state  of  things  has  prevailed  in  those 
desolate  regions,  brought  about  by  the  visits  of  various  ex- 
peditions, and  the  presence  among  them  of  devoted  mission- 
aries. But  if  the  famine  which  bears  so  hardly  on  the 
Fucgians  nearly  every  year  may  be  referred  to  as  an  excuse 
for  their  cannibalism,  we  nevertheless  find  this  practice  has 
prevailed  in  regions  of  plenty,  amongst  the  most  luxuriant 
vegetation  of  the  tropics.  Humboldt  saw  similar  scenes  on 
the  banks  of  the  Orinoco;  at  Tahiti  even,  where  the  gentle 
and  affectionate  manners  of  the  inhabitants  have  been  fre- 
quently noted  by  travellers,  the  sacrifice  of  prisoners  was 
followed  by  cannibal  feasts;  the  honor  of  eating  the  eyes  of 
the  victims  being  reserved  to  the  king.  The  first  name  of 
Queen  VomvLYc  {Aiinahii,  I  cat  ihr  eji')  is  a  last  souvenir  of 
the  royal  privilege.' 

To  conclude  these  melancholy  accounts,  which  we  might 
easily  extend  indefinitely.  Dr.  Crcvaux,  in  a  recent  explora- 
tion of  the  Amazon  and  its  chief  tributaries,  came  upon  sev- 
eral cannibal  tribes.  Amongst  the  Ouitotos,  who  live  on 
the  banks  of  the  Yapure,  he  saw  some  flutes  made  of  human 
bones,  and  he  tells  us  that  one  day,  having  surprised  an  old 
woman  in  the  act  of  preparing  her  dinner,  he  saw  the  grin- 
ning head  of  an  Indian  boiling  in  her  kettle. 

These  facts  form  a  striking  contrast  to  our  brilliant  civiliza- 
tion, and  to  the  progress  of  which  we  are  so  justly  proud. 
They  show  in  what  degradation  man  may  exist  ;  what  prac- 
tices may  be  justified  by  custom  and  superstition  ;  and  what 
efforts  must  still  be  made  to  raise  to  a  state  of  civilization 
so  many  miserable  races.     It  is  to  be  borne  in  mind,  how- 

'  "  Voyage  of  the  Adventure  and  the  Beagle,"  vol.  II.,  p.  183  and  189, 
»  "  Congr.  Preh.  de  Paris,"  1867,  p.  161. 


■^,'S^^>J■^%^■  nmntXtfbiH  ^ 


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64 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


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ever,  that  the  practice  of  cannibalism  in  many  cases  was  not 
a  mere  devotion  to  a  diet  of  human  flesh,  but  a  rite  or  ob- 
servance of  a  superstitious  or  religious  character,  not  so  far 
removed  from  the  anthropomorphism  which  in  the  Middle 
Ages  claimed  for  the  chief  Christian  rite  the  "  real  presence 
of  body  and  blood  "  of  the  victim  sacrificed  for  the  welfare 
of  the  race. 

In  regard  to  the  age  of  the  shell-heaps  the  day  has  not  yet 
come  for  expressing  a  definite  opinion.  It  is  certain  many 
of  them  are  of  great  antiquity,  and  that  additions  continued 
to  be  made  to  some  of  them  up  to  a  very  recent  time. 

Historians  are  generally  silent  about  these  heaps,  which  did 
not  attract  much  attention  until  archa.'ology  began  to  tr.ke 
its  place  among  the  sciences.  When  the  Indians  were  q.ies- 
tioned  about  them  they  generally  answered  that  they  are 
very  old,  and  are  the  work  of  people  unknown  to  them  or  to 
their  fathers.'  As  an  exception  to  this  rule,  however,  the 
Californians  attribute  a  large  shell-heap  formed  of  mussel- 
shells  and  the  ^-ones  of  animals,  on  Point  St.  George,  near 
San  Francisco,  .  j  the  Hohgates,  the  name  they  give  to  seven 
mythical  strangers  who  arrived  in  the  country  from  the  sea, 
and  who  were  the  first  to  build  and  live  in  houses."  The 
Hohgates  killed  deer,  sea-lions,  and  seals  ;  they  collected  the 
mussels  which  were  very  abundant  on  the  neighboring  rocks, 
and  the  refuse  of  their  meals  became  piled  up  about  their 
homes.  One  day  when  fishing,  they  saw  a  gigantic  seal ;  they 
managed  to  drive  a  harpoon  into  it,  but  the  wounded  animal 
fled  seaward,  dragging  the  boat  rapidly  with  it  toward  the 
fathomless  abysses  of  the  Charekwin.  At  the  moment  when 
the  Hohgates  were  about  to  be  engulfed  in  the  depths,  where 
those  go  who  are  to  endure  etciual  cold,  the  rope  broke,  the 
seal  disappeared,  and   the  boat  was  flung  up  into  the  air. 

'  It  is  the  uniform  testimony  of  those  who  have  within  recent  years  been  in 
communication  w  ilh  tlie  Seminoles,  that  no  tradition  of  the  origin  of  these  heaps 
has  comedown  to  them.  Tliey  attribute  them  to  their  predecessors  in  theoccu- 
]iatiou  of  the  peninsula  of  Florida.  See  Wyman,  "  Report,  Peabody  Museum," 
18C8,  p.  16. 

'Bancroft,  vol.  III.,  p.  177. 


KITCHEN-MIDDENS  AND   CAVES, 


65 


Since  then  the  Hohgates,  changed  into  brilliant  stars,  return 
no  more  to  earth,  where  the  shell-heaps  remain  as  witness  of 
their  former  residence. 

Though  tradition  is  silent  as  to  the  kitchen-middens,  a  few 
facts  exist  which  may  help  us  if  not  to  fix  a  definite  age  for 
them,  at  least  to  determine  something  of  their  limits.  The 
shell-heaps  existed  long  before  the  arrival  of  the  Spaniards, 
and  the  mammals  whose  remains  arc  found  in  them  were  of 
the  same  kind  as  those  seen  by  the  conquerors.  No  bones 
of  large  extinct  animals  have  been  found  in  the  shell-heaps, 
either  on  the  sea-coast  or  on  the  banks  of  rivers.  So  far  no 
discovery  has  been  made  in  those  of  North  America  of  any 
iron,  copper,  or  bronze  implements,  or  of  any  gold  or  silver 
objects.  It  therefore  seems  natural  to  place  their  formation 
between  the  time  of  the  disappearance  of  the  latest  tertiary 
fauna  and  the  first  introduction  of  metals  by  Europeans. 

It  is  evident  that  they  are  the  accumulations  of  many 
generations.  The  fresh-water  shell-heaps,  judging  from  those 
hitherto  examined,  appear  to  be  more  ancient  than  those 
formed  near  the  sea,  but  were  in  localities  less  liable  to 
denudation  and  change.  The  shell-heaps  of  California  are 
quite  recent,  those  of  Florida  perhaps  less  so ;  and  even  in 
neighboring  districts  the  pieces  of  potter)-,  weapons,  and  im- 
plements found  in  different  shell-heaps  sometimes  pre- 
sent notable  differences,  suggesting  that  they  were  not  con- 
temporaneous. Did  the  men  who  slowly  piled  up  these 
shell-heaps  belong  to  one  race,  or  to  races  that  successively 
occupied  the  same  site  ?  Without  being  able  to  say  any 
thing  positive  on  this  point,  it  is  an  invariable  law  of  history, 
that  conquerors  should  occupy  the  dwellings  of  the  con- 
quered, until  they  were  in  their  turn  driven  out  by  yet  more 
powerful  or  braver  invaders.  The  shell-heaps  all  over  America 
greatly  resemble  each  other  ;  but  there  is  nothing  in  this  re- 
semblance to  surprise  us;  it  is  natural  to  the  savage  to  throw 
out  at  the  door  of  his  hut  and  about  its  immediate  vicinity, 
useless  objects,  rubbish  of  all  kinds,  without  caring  about 
the  proximity  of  dirt.     This  is  a  common  thing  all  the  world 


m  . 


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66 


PRE-IIISTORIC  AMERICA . 


over.  Travellers  who  visit  the  Eskimo  of  to-day,  the  last 
representatives  of  one  of  ihe  most  ancient  American  races,' 
tells  us  that  about  their  tents  the  ground  is  strewn  with  all 
sorts  of  rubbish,  emitting  a  most  noisome  odor.  There  we 
have  a  sufficiently  exact  picture  of  the  manners  and  customs 
of  most  of  the  savages  who  inhabited  America  in  pre-historic 
times. 

Amongst  these  heaps,  some,  those  of  Santa  Rosa  for  in- 
stance, bear  evidence  that  those  who  formed  them  devoted 
themselves  to  the  chase,  wearing  the  skins  of  the  animals 
they  killed  ;  numerous  bone  needles  giving  proof  of  their  in- 
dustry. Amongst  the  neighboring  middens  of  Bear  Point, 
only  sea-shells  are  found;  no  sign  of  the  bones  of  animals, 
no  bone  implements.  Must  we  then  conclude  that  the 
people  who  made  them  were  different,  or  that  their  clothes 
were  made  of  grass  or  of  fibres  from  the  bark  of  trees?  as 
were  those  of  the  natives  of  Florida,  acc(jrding  to  the  Spanish 
conquerors,  who  were  the  first  to  penetrate  into  the  country. 

This  is  not  at  all  necessary.  These  natives  were  migratory 
with  the  seasons,  and,  judging  by  the  practice  of  the  Eskimo, 
probably  limited  their  pursuits  in  accordance  with  their  super- 
stitions ;  at  one  season  they  resided  at  a  certain  spot,  hunted 
the  seal,  but  perhaps  like  the  Eskimo  did  no  sewing  while 
the  hunt  was  going  on.  At  another  season,  as  in  winter,  re- 
tiring to  some  sheltered  cove  they  might  have  subsisted 
chiefly  on  mollusks,  and  occupied  their  time  in  making  cloth- 
ing, carving  wooden  or  bone  utensils,  etc.  Then  the  con- 
tents of  the  two  resulting  middens  would  be  quite  different, 
though  made  by  the  same  people  at  the  same  period  of  their 
history. 

Differences  are  often  noticeable  in  the  pottery.     The  vases 

'It  is  interesting  to  note  the  rescmlilaiice  in  piimitive  times  between  the 
Eskimo  ami  the  iiilialutants  of  tlie  Aleutian  Inlands.  The  weapons,  tools,  and 
implements  yielded  in  cxeavalions  are  identieal.  The  diflerence  in  the  fauna 
and  the  climate  gradually  modified  the  customs  of  the  two  branches  of  one 
people,  as  separation  did  their  languai^e.  W.  II.  Dall,  "  Remains  of  Later  Pre- 
historic Man  from  the  Caves  of  the  Catherina  Archipelago,  Alaska  Territory." 
"Smith.  Cent.,"  No.  318,  4°,  1878. 


KITCHEN-MIDDEXS  AND   CAVES. 


67 


in  one  case  arc  elegant  in  form  and  ornamentation;  the 
handles  represent  the  figures  of  animals  and  of  men,  they  re- 
semble in  many  respects  those  found  in  the  mounds  of  the 
interior.  In  other  cases,  on  the  contrary,  the  pottery  is  badly 
baked  and  of  coarse  construction.  In  certain  regions,  suit- 
able stone  is  rare,  and  pointed  bones  seem  to  have  served 
for  defensive  weapons  and  all  domestic  reciuirements.  As  a 
general  rule,  excavations  in  the  Atlantic  shell  heaps  have  not 
produced  either  a  single  pipe  or  a  fragment  that  could  have 
belonged  to  one,  so  that  the  fashion  of  smoking,  of  which  we 
shall  notice  so  many  traces,  probably  came  in  later.  On  the 
other  hand  we  find  ornaments  almost  everywhere,  and  often 
pieces  of  red  chalk  or  haematite,  doubtless  to  be  used  in 
coloring  wood  or  skins.  The  taste  for  finery  is  innate 
in  man  even  when  most  miserable  and  degraded,  and 
his  taste  sometimes  astonishes  us  with  the  strange  form 
it  assumes.  In  the  vast  regions  where  the  accumulations 
we  are  describing  have  been  found,  the  diffen  ces  must 
necessarily  be  very  considerable.  No  general  conclusions 
or  final  theories  are  possible  ;  for  if  one  point  seems  proved, 
many  others  are  uncertain  or  even  contradictory. 

One  method  has  frequently  been  adopted  in  forming  an 
approximate  idea  of  the  date  of  the  formation  of  certain 
shell-heaps.  There  are  some  which  are  covered  with  gigantic 
trees.  That  of  Silver-Spring  is  crowded  with  venerable  oaks ; 
one  of  the  largest  of  them  measures  no  less  than  twenty-six 
to  twenty-seven  feet  in  circumference,  so  that,  according  to 
Jeffries  Wyman,'  it  cannot  be  less  than  six  hundred  years  old. 
Judging  from  their  concentric  rings,  he  estimates  the  age  of 
the  trees  on  the  shell-heaps  of  Blue-Spring  and  Old  Town  at 
four  hundred  years.  If  these  calculations  could  be  con- 
sidered to  be  exact,  they  would  enable  us  to  ascertain  satis- 
factorily the  time  when  the  shell-heap  was  abandoned,  and 
the  forest  tree  replaced  the  dwelling  of  man  ;  but  even  then 
our  ignorance  would  remain  complete  as  to  the  initial  datc 
when  the  accumulation  of  shell  and  rubbish  began,  and  it  is 
this  which  it  is  above  all  important  to  know. 

'  "  Report,  Peabody  Museum,"  1872,  vol.  I.,  p.  25. 


\s 


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68 


PRK-Z/JS TORIC  .IMEKICA . 


Moreover,  recent  observations  of  botanists  show  that,  es- 
pecially in  warm  regions,  the  concentric  rings  of  growth  in 
trees  by  no  means  accord  with  successive  years  ;  more  than 
fifty  rin^s  luiving  been  observed  in  a  trrt;  only  fourteen  years 
old  on  one  occasion.  They  are  entirely  untrustworthy  as  a 
measure  of  chronologj'. 

The  deposits  of  guano  in  Peru  have  yielded  fish  (fig.  19), 
little  figures,  clumsy  gold  and  silver  images,  and  numerous 
fragments  of  pottery  The  Teabody  IVlustium  at  Cambridge, 
jVlass.,  owns  twenty  gold  ornaments  from  theChincha  Islands.' 
These  consist  of  very  thin  metal  plates  arranged  in  parallelo- 
grams from  seven  to  eight  inches  long  by  three  to  four  wide, 
covered  with  dotted  lines  and  pierced  with  a  hole,  by  means 
of  which  they  can  be  hung  round  the  neck  or  fastened  to  the 
clotlies.  Man  then  inhabited  these  islands  when  the  beds 
which  have  played  such  an  important  part  in  our  modern 


Fig.  19. — Silver  fish  from  the  Chincha  Islands, 

agriculture  were  accumulating,  and  doubtless  fed  upon  the 
numerous  sea-birds  jjcopling  them.  In  some  parts  the  beds 
are  covered  with  marine  deposits,  sometimes  attaining  a 
dei^th  of  six  feet.  A  geological  survey  of  the  district  indi- 
cates that  since  they  were  visited  by  man,  these  islands  have 
been  submerged  beneath  the  waves  and  have  emerged  from 
them  again  ;  but  the  causes  of  these  phenomena  are  yet  un- 
known. According  to  all  appearance  these  deposits  belong 
to  the  same  periods  as  the  shell-heaps  above  described  ;  the 
occurrence  of  precious  metals,  such  as  gold  and  silver  might, 
indeed  indicate  a  more  recent  epoch,  but  we  know  that  they 

'  "  Report,  Peabody  Museum,"  1874,  p.  20. 


li 


KITCIIEX-MJDDENS  AND   C.I  VRS, 


69 


were  used  at  an  earlier  date  in  I'eru  than  in  North  or  Central 
America. 

In  quaternary  times  the  Europeans  inhabited  natural  caves 
or  caves  artificially  enlarged,  according  to  their  requirements. 
These  caves,  especially  those  of  the  south  of  France  and  of 
Belgium,  have  yielded  the  most  certain  and  most  inter- 
esting proofs  of  the  existence  of  pre-historic  man,  and  of 
his  liabits  and  his  daily  life.  In  America,  grottos  seem  to 
have  been  chiefly  used  as  burial-places,  during  a  period  of 
time  the  limits  of  which  it  is  impossible  to  fix.  The  earliest 
explorers  '  tell  of  caves  in  Virginia,  Tennessee,  and  Kentucky, 
in  which  human  bones  were  found.  Others  in  California  were, 
we  are  told,  covered  with  admirably  preserved  drawings  repre- 
senting men  or  strange  animals ;  they  contained  many 
mummies.  Clavigero,  who  gives  these  details,  adds  that 
these  men  differed  as  much  in  their  features  as  in  the  gar- 
ments with  which  they  were  covered,  from  the  races  met 
with  by  the  Spaniards.  From  a  cave  in  the  Rio  Norzas  val- 
ley, in  the  province  of  Durango,  Mexico,  a  considerable 
number  of  mummies  have  been  taken,  of  an  appearance  very 
distinct  from  the  present  inhabitants  of  the  country.  The 
objects  deposited  near  the  mummies  were  hatchets,  stone 
arrow-points,  and  vases,  the  decoration  of  which  has  been 
fancied  to  resemble  that  of  some  Egyptian  pottery.'  The 
Spaniards  could  not  contain  their  astonishment  at  the  sight 
of  the  marvellous  feather  garments  with  which  the  bodies  of 
the  Incas  of  Peru  were  covered,  in  the  caves  which  are  de- 
scribed as  forming  their  last  resting-places.  But  nearly  all 
these  caves,  if  they  ever  really  existed,  have  been  lost  sight 
of ;  or  all  they  contained  has  disappeared,  and  we  can  not 
doubt  the  exaggeration  which  appears  in  most  of  the  details 
given  by  the  conquerors.  The  very  few  caves  still  known 
are  extremely  difficult  to  explore.  Some,  especially  those 
met  with  in  Mexico,  in  Chihuahua,  or  California,  were  sepul- 
chres, and  retained  no  traces  of  previous  habitation ;  other;- 

'  Conant :     "  Footprints  of  Vanished  Races,"  ch.  VI. 
'  Proc.  Anthropological  Soc.  of  Washington,  1879,  p.  80. 


1'.    LlL!l 


III 


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70 


PRE- II I  r.  rORIC  A  MKKK  W. 


had  been  occupied  by  Indians,  as  dwellings  or  places  of 
refuge,'  and  all  tl;e  objects  that  explorers  have  been  able  to 
collect  are  of  recent  origin. 

Amongst  the  caves  which  may  be  of  some  interest,  we 
will  name  those  in  the  calcareous  cliffs  overlooking  the  Gas- 
conade River.  One  of  the  most  remarkable  is  in  Pulaski 
county,  Missouri,  It  was  originally  formed  in  geologi- 
cal times,  and  afterward  artificially  enlarged  by  man  ;  its 
entrance  is  rather  difficult  of  access,  being  i)crpendicular  to 
the  river.  Conant  had  a  trench  made  175  fret  long  without 
reaching  the  limits  of  the  successive  depo;-:its.  We  give  a 
list  of  the  beds  as  they  occur,  with  their  depth  : 

A.  Alhiviummixed  with  cinders  and  fragments 

B.  Cinders         ........ 

C.  Clay     

D.  Cinders 

E.  Alluvium      ........ 

F.  Clay  and  cinders  mixed 

G.  Cinders         ........ 

H.  Alluvium      ........ 

J.  Cinders  mixed  witli  charcoal        .... 

K.  Alluvium      ........ 

L.     Cinders 

M.  Alluvium  mixed  with  fragments  of  charcoal 

Total     ....  .  .         67    ins. 

The  strata  must  have  been  frocjucntly  disturbed.  The)' 
consist  of  earth  and  cinders  mixed  with  fragments  of  pot- 
tery and  charcoal,  stone  implements,  broken  human  bones, 
and  a  great  number  of  bone  or  shell  tools  of  various  forms, 
rather  roughly  made  (fig.  20).  The  original  soil  consisted 
of  a  reddish  clay,  where  were  picked  up  numerous  shells  of 
Unios  completely  decomposed.  Similar  shells  occur  in  posi- 
tively prodigious  quantities  in  the  various  strata.  At  a 
depth  of  about  two  feet   the  explorers  came  to  a  skeleton 

'Schoolcraft:  "  Arcliivcs  of  Aboriginal  Knowledge,"  vol.  IV.,  ;i.  217.  "The 
Kavtijos,"  says  Gallaiin,  "  inhabited  caves  in  wbicli  they  kept  their  crops." 
"  Nouv.  Ann.  des  Voyages,"  vol.  CXXXI.,  1857. 


18 

ins 

2 

^~\ 

\ 

3 

3 

\ 

3i 

4 

7 

3 

I.; '. 
1' 


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KITCIIEX-MIDDENS  AXD    CAVES. 


n 


lying  on  its  back,  then  to  a  second  doubled  up,  a  little 
further  to  that  of  a  very  old  ■woman.  All  were  in  such  an 
advanced  state  of  decay  that  only  a  few  fray;mcnts  could  be 
preserved,  and  tliosc  were  of  no  use  for  comparison.  Round 
about  the  skeletons  were  strewn  great  quantities  of  the 
bones  of  deer,  bears,  mud-turtles,  and  wild  turkeys.  The 
skulls  of  all  the  animals  were  broken  ;  the  brains  were  evi- 
dently considered  a  dainty.  This  was  undoubtedly  a  cave 
long  inhabited  by  man  ;  burial  in  it  was  an  accidental  feat- 
ure, unless  these  bodies  may  have  been  intentionally  interred 
near  their  own  hearth.  We  lean  to  the  latter  opinion,  for 
this  Avas  a  custom  dear  to  the  heart  of  many  savage 
people. 

Shelter  cave,  near  Elyria,  Lorain  county,  Ohio,  must  also 
have  served  as  a  shelter  to  early  inhabitants  of  the  country. 


Fk;,  20. — Bone  implements  from  the  Gasconade  River. 

At  a  depth  of  four  feel;  the  difficulties  became  so  great  that 
the  excavations  could  not  be  proceeded  \\  ith.  At  this  point 
the  soil  formed  a  compact  breccia,  in  which  were  imbedded 
the  bones  of  the  bear,  wolf,  elk,  rabbit,  and  squirrel,  among 
Avhich  could  be  made  out  three  human  skeletons,  probably 
those  of  men  who  had  been  crushed,  in  the  shelter  they  had 
chosen,  by  the  fall  of  part  of  the  roof.  The  skulls,  which 
were  in  a  good  state  of  preservation,  were  exhibited  in  Cin- 
cinnati, in  i85i,atthe  meeting  of  the  American  Associa- 
tion for  the  Advancement  of  Science.  They  were  unfortu- 
nately destroyed  a  few  years  afterward,  together  with  the 
museum  of  the  Ilomieopathie  College  in  which  they  had 
been  2:)laced,  and  we  have  no  information  enabling  us  to  de- 
scribe them.  One  of  the  most  distinguislicd  archaeologists  of 
the  United  States -("!olonel  \\'Iiittlesey — attributes  a  great 


li 


\ 


: 


If    .1 


72 


PRE-HIS  TOKIC  .  I M ERICA . 


k 


antiquity '  to  these  remains,  but  his  estimate  is  too  hy- 
pothetical to  be  worth  discussing. 

Asli  Cave  in  Benton  county.  Oliio,  is  one  of  these  rock- 
shelters,  so  common  in  the  south  of  France,  and  is  remark- 
able for  a  considerable  deposit  of  cinders  coverint^  an  area  of 
one  hundred  feet  long  by  an  average  breadth  of  eighty  feel. 
A  trench  two  and  one  half  feet  deep  revealed  a  considerable 
mass  of  debris  of  all  kinds,  bones  of  animals  such  as  were 
suitable  for  the  food  of  man,  little  .sticks  which  may  have 
been  used  as  shafts  for  arrows,  fragments  of  pottery,  nuts, 
and  grass  fibres.  A  skeleton  was  seated  near  the  wall,  and 
the  pieces  of  bark  with  which  he  had  been  covered,  doubtless 
to  keep  the  cinders  from  touching  him,  could  still  be  made 
out.  The  greatest  precaution  had  also  evidently  been 
taken  with  regard  to  a  packet  of  little  seeds "  placed  near 
him,  which  had  been  carefully  covered  with  a  layer  of  grass 
and  ferns,  and  then  with  some  coarse  tissae.  We  are  igno- 
rant alike  of  their  purpose  and  of  the  rite  with  which  they 
were  connected.  \/ecan  only  add  that  Professor  Andrews,' 
from  whom  we  ha\e  gleaned  these  details,  considers  the 
skeleton  to  date  from  a  very  remote  period. 

In  June,  187.S,  a  habitation  was  examined  situated  in  Sum- 
mit county,  Ohio  ;  it  was  formed  by  two  rocks,  each  from 
fifteen  to  twenty  feet  in  diameter,  with  a  third  rock  forming 
a  kind  of  roof.  This  dwelling,  open  though  it  was  on  the 
north  and  south,  had  served  as  a  home  for  long  generations, 
for  after  removing  a  thin  layer  of  vegetable  mould,  the 
arch;tologists  whc  conducted  the  excavation  met  with  beds 
of  cinders  four  or  five  feet  in  thickness.  Numerous  boul- 
ders, that  the  troglodytes  had  not  even  had  the  energy  to 
remove  from  their  0 1  -tched  residence,  were  imbedded 
amongst  these  cinders,  together  with  more  than  five  hun- 

'  "  J"Ja'"g  from  the  a]ipearances  of  the  bones  and  the  depth  of  the  accumu- 
lation over  thoni,  two  thousand  years  may  have  elapsed  since  these  human  skele- 
tons were  laid  on  the  floor  of  the  cave." — "  Evidences  of  the  Antiquity  of  Man 
in  the  I'.  S." 

'  Clienopodium  album. 

•"Report,  Peabody  Museum,"  1S77,  vol.  IT.,  p.  48 


KITCIIEK-MIDDENS  AND   CAVES. 


n 


dred  fragments  of  pottery,  bone: ,  shells,  and  stone  weapons 
or  tools.  The  pottery  retained  the  marks  of  the  bark  fibres 
of  the  netting  in  which  it  had  been  supported  before 
baking.  The  deeper  the  excavations  went  the  coarser  and 
clumsier  was  the  pottery.  Not  one  of  the  stone  objects 
showed  the  slightest  trace  of  polishing,  and  most  of  them 
seem  to  have  served  as  knives.  The  bones  were  those  of 
the  bear,  wolf,  porcupine,  buffalo,  stag,  squirrel,  fox,  beaver, 
and  there  were  some  which  had  belonged  to  a  heron  and  a 
Avild  turkey.  The  bones  containing  marrow  had  been  broken, 
ome  were  roughly  pointed,  all  indicating  that  the  culture  of 
the  cave  men  had  been  of  the  most  primitive  description.' 

In  Pennsylvania,  eighty-two  miles  from  rhiladc'ohia,'  on 
the  face  of  a  cliff  rising  parallel  to  the  Susquehanna  River, 
a  natural  rave  was  found,  some  seven  feet  high,  in  a  very 
hard  quartzite,  showing  no  trace  of  erosion  either  by  the 
work  of  man  or  the  action  of  water.  The  original  soil  con- 
sisted of  yellow  clay,  and  on  this  clay  rested  a  bed  of  black 
^noulii,  some  thirty  inches  thick."  The  whole  deposit  was 
rich  in  human  remains,  and  there  were  collected  here  more 
than  four  hundred  arrow-points  made  of  petrosilex,  jasper, 
basalt,  argillite,  with  rare  examples  in  quartzite,  which  ma- 
terials were  easily  accessible  from  the  neighboring  rock,;. 
These  arrows  presented  a  great  variety  of  forms,  and  were  in 
every  stage  of  manufacture.  With  them  were  found  five 
perforated  objects  commonly  called  tomahawks,  but  too  thin 
to  have  been  used  as  a  weapon  or  tool ;  some  knives  or  frag- 
ments of  knives,  only  the  concave  sides  of  which  were 
polished,  the  convex  side  showing  a  groove  and  marks  of 
having  been  struck  sharply  ;  some  broken  turtle  bones,  some 

'Read,  "Exploration  of  a  Rock  shelter,  in  Boston,  Summit  county,  Ohio." 
— AiinrictU-  Anlitjiiariaii,  March,  lS8o. 

°  Ilaldeman  :  "A  Rock  Retreat  in  Pennrylvania,"  Congres  des  Araerican- 
istes.     Luxembourg,  1877,  vol.  II.,  p.  319. 

'■'This  mould,"  says  Ilaldeman,  'is  of  vegetable  origin."  Dr.  Andrews 
{Atiicriftut  A'aliiriilis/,  February,  1S76)  says  that  it  must  have  taken  centuries 
to  form  ten  inches  of  vegetable  mould,  but  we  have  already  pointed  out  hov 
hypothetical  such  calculations  always  are. 


il 


li 


& 


I '  , 


74 


PRE-HISrORIC  AMERICA. 


■-  I 


1 


■Unio  shells  from  the  river,  throe  hundred  fragments  of  pot- 
ter)-, the  tube  of  an  earthenware  pipe  resembhng  those  we 
shall  describe  in  connection  with  the  mound-builders,  and 
lastly  a  pestle  and  some  pieces  of  red  or  black  ferruginous 
minerals,  which  these  cave  men  had  used  to  get  the  colors 
they  required,  traces  of  these  colors  still  remaining  on  the 
pestle.  The  excavations  yielded  no  bones  that  could  be 
attributed  to  man.  Those  who  used  this  shelter  were  not, 
therefore,  cannibals,  and  they  disposed  of  their  dead  away 
from  their  dwelling. 

Some  human  bones  have  been  picked  up  in  a  cave  near 
Louisville,  Kentucky.  This  cave,  which  is  very  large,  has  a 
remarkable  declivity  at  the  further  end  ;  it  has  been  very  im- 
perfectly excavated,  the  numerous  rattlesnakes  having  driven 
off  the  explorers.  It  has  been  ascertained  however,  that,  as 
in  the  cave  of  Elyria,  the  bones  were  imbedded  in  a  breccia 
formed  by  the  lime-impregnated  water  which  oozed  from 
the  roof.  After  a  great  deal  of  trouble  the  explorers  suc- 
ceeded in  taking  out  six  skulls  almost  intact,  and  with  them 
a  hatchet,  a  mortar,  and  a  stone  arrow-point.  Colonel 
Whittlesey  attributes  to  these  skulls  an  antiquity  no  less  re- 
mote than  to  those  of  Elyria. 

The  German  traveller,  Miiller,  tells  of  the  existence,  in  the 
province  of  Oajaca,  of  some  caves  which  had  been  used  as 
human  residences  from  a  very  ancient  epoch  ;  we  must  con- 
tent ourselves  with  mentioning  them,  together  with  the  dis- 
coveries made  at  High  Rock  Spring  near  Saratoga,  New 
York,  although  since  1839  some  archaeologists  have  claimed 
for  these,  as  first  traces  of  the  aboriginal  American,  a  great 
antiquity."  W^e  hasten  to  jiass  to  better  information  pub- 
lished in  an  excellent  report  addressed  in  1875  to  the 
trustees  of  the  I'eabody  Museum  by  Putnam." 

The  learned  professor  noticed  near  Gregson's  Springs, 
Kentucky,  a  rock-shelter  resembling  those  we  havo  men- 
tioned.    The  rock  had  been  hollowed  out  artificiallv  and  the 


'  Dr.  Maguire  :  Proc.  Boston  Soc.  of  Natural  History,  vol.  II.,  May,  1839. 
-Report,  Vol.  I.,  ji.  4S,  etc. 


K I TCII EX-M IDDKN S  AND   CA  VES. 


75 


soil  was  strewn  with  the  bones  of  animals,  worked  stone 
articles,  and  fragments  of  pottery  and  charcoal.  This  was 
but  a  beginning,  and  Putnam's  persevering  researches  ought 
to  lead  to  more  important  discoveries.' 

The  .  avc  known  as  Salt  C.ivc  may  be  compared  to  the 
celebrated  Mammntli  Cavi\  It  consists  liki-  the  latter 
of  a  great  number  of  passages,  which  can  be  followed  for 
miles.  In  one  of  the  smaller  or  larger  rooms  to  which  these 
passages  lead  certain  traces  of  the  residence  of  man  were 
recognized.  These  are  the  cintlers  of  several  hearths,  or 
piles  of  stones  built  up  with  a  cavity  in  the  centre  where,  ac- 
cording to  a  plausible  supposition,  fagots  of  chips,  or  of 
reeds  were  placed  to  gi\'e  light  to  the  cave.  In  several 
places  such  fagots  have  been  found  tied  together  with  fibres 
of  bark. 

In  one  little  dwelling-place,  at  about  three  miles  from  the 
entrance  to  the  cave,  "  Putnam  made  out  the  footprints  of  a 
man  shod  with  sandals,  and  a  little  further  on  he  found  the 
sandals  themselves,  mad''  \\\\\\  great  skill  of  interwoven 
reeds.  The  garments  of  the  cave  men  were  wo\en  of 
the  bark  of  young  trees  ;  some  black  stripes  traced  on  a 
piece  of  cloth  so  prepared,  and  fragments  of  fringe  also 
found  in  the  cave,  bore  witness  to  their  taste  for  dress ;  an- 
other piece  of  stuff  curiousK'  mended  gave  proof  of  their  in- 
dustry. Remains  were  also  picked  up  of  gourds,  often 
of  considerable  size,  and  two  finely  worked  arrow-points. 
The  ground  was  covered  with  human  excrement,  the 
analyses  of  which  .suggest  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  cave 
were  vegetarians,  but  excavations  have  only  yielded  a  few 
fresh-water  mussel-shells  almost  entirely  decomposed.  The 
discovciy  of  sandals,  woven  stuffs,  the  absence  of  the  bones 

'  We  will  merely  recall  several  caves,  such  as  those  called  SaunJi-rs'  Cinv,  the 
Haunted  Cii-r,  an<l  one  situated  in  Hart  County.  Although  frequent  excava- 
tions and  disturbances  make  all  surmises  problematical,  the  probability  is 
that  these  caves  were  never  used  for  human  habitation,  but  were  only  useu  as 
graves. 

'We  follow  Putnam's  account  :  the  disiance  he  gives  ajipears  very  great, 
unless  we  suppose  the  existence  of  another  entrance  not  yet  known. 


ir-5 


I 


m. 


76 


PRE-IIISTORIC  AMERICA. 


\   ■( 


^41 


of  animals,  rind  the  long  habitation  of  the  cave  suggest 
a  sedentary  population  devoted  to  agriculture,  and  no 
longer  depending  exclusively  for  food  upon  hunting  and 
fishing. 

Putnam  adds  an  important  remark.  A  muinmy  was  found 
in  1813  in  Short's  Cave, '  and  deposited  in  the  Museum  of 
Worcester,  Massachusetts  ;  a  careful  comparison  between  the 
clothes  it  wore  and  the  fragments  found  at  Salt  Cave  allow  us 
to  class  them  as  identical  in  character.  Here  then  we  have 
a  people  that  buried  their  dead  with  care,  and  whose  liabitat 
extended  over  a  large  area.  Putnam  adds  that  certain 
details  of  the  burial  point  to  the  great  antiquity  of  the 
mumm}'  found  in  Short's  Cave  ;  adding  that  these  cave-men 
presented  e\-ery  appearance  of  a  culture  very  much  above 
that  of  the  savages  to  whom  the  shell-heaps  bear  witness,  and 
they  probably  date  from  a  less  remote  antiquity. 

When  caves  were  not  at  hand,  when  these  primeval  Am- 
ericans saw  before  them  nothing  but  vast  bare  plains,  shel- 
terless prairies,  impenetrable  forest,  haunted  by  •wild  animals, 
these  first  Americans,  like  the  men  met  with  by  the  Si:)aniards, 
and  like  those  who  still  wander  in  the  deserts  of  Arizona  or 
of  New  Mexico,  probably  inhabited  wigwams,  put  together 
in  a  few  hours  (fig.  2\)  and  destroyed  no  less  rapidly,  Avhen 
the  nomad  luibits  of  their  owners  or  the  pursuit  of  game  led 
them  to  a  distance.  Colonel  McKee,  who  was  one  of  the 
first  to  reach  California  when  tlie  country  was  first  occupied 
by  the  United  States  government,  tells  us  that  .it  the  ap- 
proach  of  summer  the  tribes  of  the  Northwest  burnt  their 
skins  or  reed  huts  in  which  they  had  spent  the  winter,  so  as 
to  destroy  the  vermin  with  wliich  they  .swarmed.  !Most  of 
the  men  of  these  tribes  went  about  nearly  naked  ;  the  women 
and  the  girls  of  marriageable  age  wore  only  a  little  petticoat 
reaching  from  the  waist  to  the  knees,  the  bosom  remaining 
uncovered  at  ever}'  age. 

The  arrangement  of  the  hut  doubtless  varied,  as  it  does 

'  Short's  Cave  is  eight  miles  from  Mammoth  Cave,  which  is  often  wrongly 
cited  as  the  scene  of  tlie  (lis('nvery  of  ihis  inumniy. 


Ni 


li 


w 


m 


77 


M 


fr 


78 


PRK.UI^TORIC  AMERICA. 


f  I 


now,  among  the  different  races  and  tribes.  The  Comanches 
set  upright  the  poles  which  were  to  keep  the  tent  in  position  ; 
the  Lipans  and  Navajos '  tied  them  in  a  conical  form  ;  the 
Apaches  arranged  them  in  an  elliptical  oval."  Each  tribe  had 
its  own  special  form  of  wigwam,  transmitted  from  its  ances- 
tors, and,  perpetuated  by  custom,  they  remained  permanently 
characteristic.  Even  now,  when  an  abandoned  camp  is  met 
with,  the  tribe  it  belonged  to  can  often  be  easily  ascertained 
by  an  examination  of  the  huts.  The  poles  were  sometimes 
covered  with  branches  or  with  skins,  sometimes  with  grass  or 
flat  stones.  The  huts  were  from  twelve  to  eighteen  feet  in 
diameter,  by  four  to  eight  feet  high.  Sometimes  the  ground 
was  hollowed  out,  so  as  to  give  the  family  a  little  more  room. 
A  triangular  opening  closed  with  a  strip  of  cloth  or  of  skin, 
completed  the  dwelling.  Other  tribes  contented  themselves 
with  digging  a  hole  in  the  earth  and  covering  it  with  branches. 
Some  of  the  Indians  of  New  Mexico  were  still  more  savage. 
Naked  and  horribly  dirty,  they  wandered  during  the  great 
heat  of  the  summer  near  the  water-courses,  taking  temporary 
shelter  now  in  a  ravine,  now  in  a  cave,  a  precarious  refuge, 
and  for  which  they  had  to  dispute  possession  with  wild 
beasts.  In  winter  they  built  up  a  circular  wall,  about  two 
feet  high,  with  stones  and  branches  of  trees.  This  wretched 
dwelling  could  never  be  closed,  a  roof  of  any  kind  being  con- 
trary to  their  superstitious  notions,  and  there  huddled  to- 
gether they  tried  to  protect  themselves  from  the  extremes 
of  cold."  The  dwellings  of  the  people  inhabiting  the  central 
districts  of  Mexico  consisted  of  a  few  poles,  bound  together 
with  creepers  of  vigorous  growth  native  to  the  tropics,  and 
covered  in  with  palm  leaves.    In  the  colder  mountain  regions 

'James  Simpson  :  "  Journal  of  a  Military  Reconnaissance  from  Santa  Fe  to 
the  Navajo  Country,"  Philadelphia,  1852. 

"  ISartlett  :  "  Personal  Narrative  of  Exploration  and  Incidents  in  Texas,  New 
Mexico,  California,  Sonora,  and  Chihuahua,"  New  York,  1854. 

^  Vonegas  :  "  Noticia  de  la  California  ydesu  Conquista,"  Madrid,  1757  :  "  Le 
abitazione  le  piii  coniuni  sono  certe  chiuse  circolari  di  sassi  schiolti  ed  amucchi- 
ati,  le  quali  hanno  cinque  piedi  didiametro  e  meno  di  due  d'altezza."  Clav- 
igero,  "  St.  del  la  California,"  vol.  I.,  p.  iiq,  Venezia,  1789. 


It 


m 


A'/rc///:x-.uw/)/:jvs  axd  cavf.s. 


79 


the  walls  were  formed  of  the  trunks,  firmly  bound  together 
with  cane,  and  covered  inside  and  out  with  a  thick  coatin^f 
of  clay. 

Such  were  some  of  the  tribes  met  with  by  the  conquerors, 
and  such  doubtless  had  they  been  for  many  {generations  be- 
fore the  arrival  of  the  Spaniards.  Side  by  side  with  them 
lived  others  more  interesting  to  the  historian  and  the  philoso- 
pher, and  of  these  it  is  now  time  to  speak.  The  mystery  in 
which  they  are  shrouded  adds  to  the  fascination  exerted  by 
a  mere  view  of  the  ruins  bearing  witness  to  their  presence 
in  the  past. 


CIIAl'TF.R  III. 


m 


1 1 


fi; 


I     1 
I 


it: 


5    1     1 


THK    MOrXl)    liUIl.DKKS. 

The  existence  of  artificial  inouncls  in  the  valleys  of  the 
Mississippi,  the  Ohio,  and  the  Missouri,  with  those  formed 
by  their  tributaries,  escaped  the  notice  of  the  first  pioneers 
in  America,  who  were  altogether  absorbed  with  the  search 
forvaluable  booty.  Garcilasso  de  Vega'  and  the  anonymous 
chronicler  of  the  unfortunate  expedition  of  Hernandez  de 
Soto"  make,  it  is  true,  some  allusion  to  them  ;  but  it  was 
not  until  many  years  later,  when  a  regular  trade  was  estab- 
lished with  the  Indians'  living  beyond  the  iVlIeghanj*  Moun- 
tains, that  any  exact  information  was  obtained  with  regard 
to  these  rude  but  imposing  monuments — sole  witness  of  a 
life  and  customs  which  remain  almost  unknown. 

Carver  in  1776  and  Ilarte  in  1791,  were  the  first  to  take 
any  special  notice  of  these  mounds  ;  Breckenridge,  who  wrote 
of  them  in  1814,*  tells  us  that  they  astonished  him  as  much 
as  did  the  monuments  of  Egypt ;  and  later  Messrs.  Squier  and 
Davis  checked  earlier  accounts  by  the  more  exact  methods  of 

'  "  History  of  Florida,"  published  at  Lisbon  in  1605,  at  Madrid  in  1723,  and 
translated  several  limes  into  other  languages. 

"  "  Velacao  verdadeira  dos  trabalhos  que  ho  gobernador  don  Fernando  de  Soto 
et  certos  fidalgos  Portuguesos  passaraono  descobrimiento  da  provincia  da  Flor- 
ida," translated  into  French  and  published  in  Paris  in  16S5;  translated  into  Eng- 
lish and  published  for  the  H.ikluyt  Society  in  1S51.  Consult  also,  in  the  Ter- 
naux  collection,  the  account  given  by  the  chaplain  of  this  expedition,  which 
tooii  place  in  1539. 

The  Grenville  collection  in  the  British  Museum  has  a  rare  copy  of  the  first 
edition  of  this  work.     It  is  a  small  octavo  in  black  letter. 

'  They  themselves  had  given  to  theYazoo  the  characteristic  name  of  River  of 
the  Ancient  Ruins,  on  account  of  the  mounds  in  its  vicinity. 

<  "  Views  of  Louisiana,"  Pittsburg,  1814. 

So 


i;  m 


THE  MOiXD  BUILDERS. 


ftl 


modern  science.  Between  1845  'i"*^!  J847,  more  than  two 
hundred  mounds  were  excavated  by  them,  and  the  descrijj. 
tion  they  give,  puljlished  by  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  is 
still  our  best  guide  with  regard  to  these  remains.'  This 
publication  gave  a  fresh  impulse  to  investigations.  Expe- 
ditions undertaken  on  every  side  and  carried  out  with  zeal, 
resulted  in  the  finding  of  the  most  diverse  and  curious 
objects.  Most  interesting  monographs  and  careful  studies 
were  published  after  the  expeditions,  and  it  is  our  task  to 
make  known  the  results  of  both. 

The  mounds  are  artificial  hillocks  of  earth,  nearly  always 
constructed  with  a  good  deal  of  precision.  They  are  of  vari- 
ous forms,  round,  oval,  square,  more  rarely  polygonal  or  tri- 
angular. Their  height  varies  from  a  few  inches  to  more 
than  ninety  feet,"  and  their  diameter  from  three  to  about  a 
thousand  feet.  Those  supposed  to  be  intended  for  the  per- 
formance of  religious  rites  end  in  a  platform,  which  is 
reached  by  a  skilfully  planned  flight  of  steps  ;  none  of  these 
however  are  known  north  of  Mexico ;  others  can  be 
climbed  with  difficulty.  Some  rise  from  the  summit  of 
a  hill,  others  stretch  away  irregularly  in  the  plains,  often 
for  a  distance  of  several  miles;  others  again  we  find  sym- 
metrically arranged  and  enclosed  within  walls,  built  of  earth, 
as  are  the  mounds  themselves.  All  those  of  the  United 
States,  however,  whatever  their  form  or  size,  present  very 
remarkable  analogies  with  each  other,  and  evidently 
belonged  to  men  in  about  the  same  stage  of  culture, 
submitting  to  similar  influences  and  actuated  by  similar 
motives.  We  find  these  mounds  in  the  valleys"  already 
mentioned,  and  in  those  of  Wyoming  ;    of  the  rivers  Susque- 

'"  Ancient  Monuments  of  the  Mississippi  Valley."  Smith.  Coiit.  to  A'ito;ul- 
edge,  Philadelphia,  1847,  vol.  I.     Arch.  Ami-ricaiia,  vol.  I. 

^  Dr.  Ilabel  ("  Smithsonian  Contributions,"  vol.  XXII.)  mentions  a  conical 
mound  300  or  400  feet  high  near  Quito,  but  grave  doubts  arc  entertained  as  to 
its  origin  and  artificial  character. 

'  According  to  Dr.  Foster's  calculations,  the  Mississippi  Valley  includes  an 
area  of  2,455.000  square  miles,  measuring  30°  longitude  by  23"  latitude. 
"Mississippi  Valley,"  Chicago,  i86g,  p.  31. 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
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23  WEST  MAIN  .^IREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


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82 


PRE-IIISTORIC  AMERICA. 


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hanna,  Yazoo,  and  Tennessee;  on  the  banks  of  Lake  Ontario 
as  far  as  the  St.  Lawrence ;  in  the  western  districts  of  the 
state  of  New  York;  in  the  states  of  Missouri,  Mississippi, 
Michigan,  Wisconsin,  Iowa,  Nebraska,  and  Louisiana;  the 
valleys  of  the  Arkansas  and  of  the  Ret!  River.  Near 
Carthage,  Alabama,  a  remarkable  group  of  truncated  mounds 
is  described,  surrounded  by  embankments  which  are  gradu- 
ally disappearing  beneath  the  plough.  In  the  South,  how- 
ever, the  mounds  appear  to  be  less  ancient  than  on  the  Ohio 
and  Mississippi ;  as  if  the  builders  had  been  gradually  driven 
back  by  an  invading  enemy  from  the  North. 

Similar  tumuli  stretch  all  along  the  coast  of  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico,  from  Florida  to  Tex  is.  In  the  latter  state  and  in 
South  Carolina,  especially,  occur  conical  mounds,  forming  a 
transition  in  shape  between  this  kind  of  structure  and  the 
tcocallis'  of  Mexico,  in  wb.ch  ;.i  temple  crowns  a  truncated 
pyramid,  in  this  case  built  of  stone.'  In  Yucatan  and  Chi- 
apas, artificial  mounds  form  the  foundation  of  some  remark- 
able monuments  that  we  .shall  have  to  describe,  and  which 
were  already  old  at  the  time  of  the  Spanish  Conquest.' 
Wells  relates  that  in  Honduras,  even  in  the  forests  through 
which  a  path  must  be  cut  a.xe  in  hand,  the  Raqueanos*  find 

*  The  Mexicans  acknow  ledged  a  God,  Tmt  or  Theot ;  hence  the  name  of 
Tcocallis,  the  house  of  God. 

"  lir.isscur  de  l?ourbourg  speaks  of  a  great  number  of  tumuli  in  the  province 
of  Vera  P.iz,  presenting,  he  says,  a  striking  resemblance  to  those  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi V.illcy.  They  are  of  reddish  earth,  and  the  Indians  cill  them  Cahhay, 
or  the  red  houses  ("  Ilistoire  di's  Nations  civiliziles,"  t.  I.,  p.  15). 

'  The  whole  central  region  is  strewn  with  mounils  bearing  ruined  buildings 
(Bancroft,  vol.  1\'.,  p.  200).  Such  artificial  nioimds  are  met  with  at  Uxmal, 
Nohpat,  Kabah,  and  Labnah.  The  Mayas  ahv.iys  raised  a  mound  as  a  founda- 
tion for  their  buildings  ;  if  a  natural  eminence  existed,  they  took  pains  to 
enlarge  it.  Near  the  port  of  Silan  two  mounds  are  described  on  which  are 
seen  extensive  ruins  (Stephens  :  "  Incidents  of  Travel  in  Yucatan,"  New  York, 
1858,  vol.  II.,  p.  427).  Close  to  the  Rio  I.ayarto  are  two  pyramids,  on  the 
summit  of  which  now  grow  lofty  tufts  of  trees  (Haril,  "  La  Mexique,"  Douai, 
1862,  p.  129).  Monte  Cuyo,  near  Yalahao,  which  is  visible  far  out  at  sea,  was 
spoken  of  even  by  the  old  navigator  Dampier  as  the  work  of  man. 

*  Wells  called  them  Vaqucros,  and  on  his  authority  we  h.-xd  used  that  name ; 
but  from  a  communication  that  Mr.  Ch.  Barbier  has  been  good  enough  to 


'III 


THE  MOUND  BUILDERS. 


83 


mounds  often  of  remarkable  height.  Each  of  these  mounds 
yielded  pieces  of  pottery,  clumsy  in  construction,  but  of 
curious  shape  and  ornamentation.  Mounds  are  said  to 
occur  on  the  shores  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake,  in  Utah,  and  in 
Arizona.  They  also  occur,  though  of  smaller  dimensions,  in 
California  and  Oregon,  in  the  valleys  formed  by  the  Colo- 
rado and  its  tributaries,  and  Taylor  pretends  to  have  counted 
them  by  thousands  from  an  eminence  overlooking  the  Mer- 
ced River.  Their  number  diminishes  as  the  Atlantic  Ocean 
is  approached.  Rare  beyond  the  Rocky  Mountains,  they 
are  still  more  so  in  liritish  America. 

The  number,  form,  and  disposition  of  these  mounds,  often 
so  strange  in  their  design,  so  original  in  their  execution, 
with  the  objects  brought  to  light  by  excavations,  are,  we 
repeat,  characteristic,  and  such  as  forbid  their  being  classed 
indiscriminately  with  the  burial  mounds  common  to  all  parts 
of  the  world.  It  is  amongst  these  latter  that  we  must  class 
the  mounds  travellers  tell  of  in  British  Columbia,  Vancouver 
Island,  Peru,  Brazil,  and  the  pampas  of  Patagonia.  Father 
Acufia  tells  of  countless  tumuli  in  the  Terraba  plains  of 
Costa  Rica,  the  centre  of  a  once  numerous  population.' 
Other  tumuli,  no  less  numerous,  bear  witness  to  ancient 
history  in  the  desert  stretching  all  along  the  Mosquito  coast 
of  Central  America.*  Near  the  Palize  River'  mounds  raised 
in  honor  of  the  dead  and  surrounded  with  circles  of  stones 
recall  the  cromlechs*  of  the  old  world.  Lastly,  Dr.  Ze- 
ballos  gives  us  a  description  of  a  tumulus  near  Campana, 

address  to  us  we  learn  that  the  Vaqueros,  rulers  of  the  vast  herds  of  the  country, 
do  not  make  these  researches.  They  may  far  more  rcasonahly  be  attributed  to 
the  Bacjueanos,  who  served  as  guides  to  the  explorers, 

^  Harper's  Mai^azine,  vol.  XX.,  p.  319. 

'  lioylc,  "  A  Ride  Across  the  Continent,"  vol.  I.,  p.  296. 

'  G.  Henderson:  "An  Account  of  the  Itrltish  Settlement  of  Honduras," 
London,  1811.  Frobel :  "  Seven  Years'  Travel  in  Central  America,"  London, 
1859. 

*  A  cromlech  is  the  name  given  by  archxologists  to  a  heap  composed  of  two 
or  more  upright  stones  with  a  flat  stone  laid  across  them,  marking  a  tomb. 
Cromlechs  are  to  be  met  with  throughout  the  British  Isles,  in  France,  and  other 
European  countries,  and  in  some  parts  of  Asia  and  America. 


f'i 


li 


t 


ii 


84 


PRE-HISTOKIC  AMEKICA. 


Buenos  Ayrcs,"  which  is  over  six  feet  high  and  measures 
about  two  hundred  and  sixty  feet  long  and  one  hundred 
and  fifteen  feet  across.  Excavations  resulted  in  the  dis- 
covery of  twenty-seven  skeletons ;  round  about  them  lay 
arrow-points,  stone  hatchets,  stones  for  slings,  and  a  con- 
siderable quantity  of  bones  of  animals  and  fragments  of 
pottery. 

In  other  places  explorers  tell  of  piles  of  stones.  These 
piles  may  probably  date  from  much  more  recent  periods,  for 
even  in  our  own  day  the  Indians  have  a  custom  of  adding  a 
stone  when  they  pass  near  the  spots  which  tradition  has  long 
pointed  out  as  the  burial-places  of  ancient  chiefs,  or  for  some 
other  reason.  It  is  iathis  way  that  the  Ozark  hills  have  be- 
come covered  with  coirns  or  nuirgers."  They  were  looked 
upon  as  posts  of  observation,  but  their  number  alone  is 
enough  to  confute  this  hypothesis,  and  excavations  have  of- 
ten yielded  human  bones,  leaving  no  doubt  as  to  the  real 
purpose  of  some  of  the  mounds.' 

We  meet  with  such  cairns  again  in  Honduras,  near  San 
Salvador.  Three  miles  from  Toolcsborough,  Iowa,  there  .-'.re 
mounds  actually  built  of  granite  boulders  taken  from  the  bed 
of  the  river.  But  it  is  in  their  .style  of  construction  alone 
that  they  differ  from  other  mounds  ;  in  them  also  excavations 
have  brought  to  light  charcoal,  worked  stone,  and  the 
charred  bones  of  animals. 

In  .several  states  of  the  far  West  the  mounds  represent 
mammals,  birds,  and  reptiles ;  indeed  some  bold  architects 
have  not  hesitated  to  attempt  to  imitate  the  human  body. 

Ohio  appears  to  have  been  one  of  the  centres  of  mound- 
building.  It  is  true  that  we  meet  with  fewer  mounds  of 
strange  form,  but  their  total  number  is  considerable.  It  can- 
not be  estimated  at  less  than  10,000,  of  which  1,500  arc  en- 
closed, and  it  has  been  calculated  that  the  total  length  of  all 
the  mounds  raised  by  man  in  this  one  State  would  be  no  less 

'  R:v.  iV  Anthropologic,  1879. 

'  Habel :  "  Investigations  in  Central  and  South  America,"  Smithsonian  Con- 
tributions, vol.  XXII. 
'  American  Aittitjiiarian,  July,  1879,  p.  59. 


THE  MOUXD  BUILDERS. 


85 


le 


all 


than  306  miles."  The  whole  of  Missouri,  especially  the  south- 
cast  portion  known  as  the  Swamp  region '  is  also  covered 
with  countless  tumuli,  often  grouped  with  evident  design.  In 
the  state  of  New  York,  there  are  250  enclosures  resembling 
our  modern  fortifications.'  In  an  area  of  fifty  miles,  on  the 
bordersof  the  states  of  Iowa  and  Illinois,  2,500  mounds  have 
been  made  out  without  counting  carthern  inclosures.* 
Everywhere  a  mucli  greater  number  than  this  have  been 
destroyed  by  colonists  and  farmers,  caring  little  in  their  hard 
struggle  for  existence  for  those  who  preceded  them.  Others, 
lost  in  vast  deserts  or  in  the  impenetrable  forests  covering  a 
considerable  area  in  the  two  Americas,  are  still  unknown 
to  us. 

The  extent  of  the  territory  occupied  by  the  builders  of 
mounds  in  Central  America,  with  the  number  01  mounds 
erected  by  them,  proves  the  great  length  of  their  exist- 
ence. The  importance  of  some  of  the  works,  which,  accord- 
ing to  the  judgment  of  competent  engineers,  it  would  have 
taken  several  thousand  of  our  workmen,  provided  with  all 
the  resources  of  our  grand  modern  industries,'  months  to 
execute,  bears  witness  to  an  organized  community  and  a 
powerful  hierarc'iy.  Lastly,  the  regularity  of  the  buildings 
with  the  excellence  of  the  execution  of  the  objects  found  in 
them,  prove  to  what  an  extent  artistic  feeling  was  developed 
amongst  the  makers  of  the  mounds,  whose  existence  has  so 
unexpectedly  been  revealed  to  us  by  excavations. 

It  is  with  the  relics  of  an  unknown   and  remote  past  that 

'Bancroft,  vol.  IV.,  p.  752.  Pidgeon  :  "Ant.  Researchts,"  New  York,  1858. 
Lewis  &  Clark  :   "  Travels  to  the  Source  of  the  Missouri  River,"  London,  1S14. 

'The  Swamp  region  covers  an  area  of  4,aK>  square  miles,  and  includes  six 
counties  and  portions  of  three  others.  The  soil  is  formed  of  recent  alluvium 
covering  tertiary  beds  of  gravel,  clay,  and  marl  filled  with  fossils.  (W.  P. 
Potter:  "Arch.  Remains  in  S.  K.  Missouri,"  St.  l.ouis  Acad,  of  Sciences, 
1880.) 

"Squier:  "Ant.  of  the  State  of  New  York,"  Huffalo,  1851.  "Report,  Pea- 
body  Museum,"  1880,  vol.  IL,  p.  721. 

*  American  Antii/iiarian,  July,  1879,  p.  59  e/  seq, 

'  The  builders  had  no  beasts  of  burden.  These  large  structures  were,  there- 
fore, built  by  man  unaided. 


|( 


86 


PRE.HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


'.  1  i 


we  have  to  deal,  and  we  will  begin  with  the  mounds ;  but 
the  confusion  in  which  the  different  forms  they  assume  are 
mixed  together,  adds  singularly  to  the  difficulty  of  the  task. 
Cones  and  pyramids  arc  enclosed  within  a  sort  of  breast- 
work ;  mounds  supposed  to  be  intended  for  the  offering  up 
of  sacrifices  are  connected  with  tumuli ;  side  by  side  with 
those  representing  animals  rise  polygonal  or  triangular 
mounds.  Dr.  Andrews'  mentions  in  a  plan  of  Athens 
county,  Ohio,  a  collection  of  twenty-three  mounds,  seven 
of  which,  according  to  him,  were  intended  as  fortifications 
and  sixteen  as  burial-places.     The  loftiest  is  40  feet  high 


i  ;; 


Fig.  22. — Triangular  mounds. 

by  170  in  diameter.'  In  Pike  county,  Pennsylvania,  a  per- 
fect scjuare  is  to  be  seen  enclosed  within  a  circle  constructed 
with  no  less  regularity  ;  at  Portsmouth,  four  concentric  cir- 
cles intersected  by  wide  avenues  perfectly  true  to  the  car- 
dinal points.  The  mounds  near  St.  Louis  formed  three  sides 
of  a  parallelogram  about  328  yards  long  by  215  yards  wide. 
The  fourth  side  was  shut  in  by  three  smaller  mounds.' 

'  "  Report,  Peabcdy  Museum,"  1877. 

•The  content  of  this  mound  is  estimated  at  437,742  cubic  feet,  and  as  no 
signs  of  excavations  arc  to  be  seen  in  the  neighborhood,  one  can  but  suppose 
that  this  mass  of  earth  was  brought  from  a  distance, 

*  Breckenridge  :  "Views  of  Louisiana."  St.  I.ouis  is  sometimes  called 
Mound  City  on  account  of  the  number  of  mounds  which  rise,  or  rather  did  rise, 
in  its  neighborhood. 


ff      ^ 


•i 


led 
se, 


THE  MOUXD  BUILDERS. 


87 


e. 


no 
ose 


According  to  De  Hass,  the  mounds  of  Illinois  form  quite 
a  town,  a  vast  and  mysterious  series  of  monuments.  He 
tells  us  that  he  was  surprised  to  find  nothing  but  sepulchres 
on  the  other  side  of  the  Mississippi,  whereas  everywhere  else 
the  groups  of  ruins  were  associated  with  walls  of  circum- 
vallation.  Conant '  tells  of  a  collection  of  mounds  on  the 
Root  River,  about  twenty  miles  from  its  junction  with  the 
Mississippi  (Ig.  22).  The  chief  mound  measures  twelve  feet 
in  height  b)  thirty-six  feet  in  diameter.  It  is  situated  in  the 
centre  of  a  circle,  of  which  traces  can  still  be  made  out.  The 
ridges  forming  the  three  sides  of  the  triangle  are  of  equal 
length — 144  feet ;  their  diameter  is  twelve  feet,  and  their 
height  three,  four,  and  five  feet  respectively.  It  is  remark- 
able that  these  heights,  tak-en  together,  equal  the  height  of 
the  central  mound,  and  that  when  they  are  multiplied  to- 
gether the  length  of  the  sides  of  the  triangle  is  obtained. 
This  is  doubtless  an  accidental  coin  :idence,  though  several 
earthworks  arc  mentioned  of  square  or  rectangular  form,  in 
which  a  similar  relation  is  alleged  to  exist  between  the 
height  and  lengths  of  the  mounds  forming  them. 

As  they  have  been  subjected  to  ve.tical  denudation  for  an 
uncounted  number  of  years,  it  is  ceitiiin  that  any  numerical 
relations  existing  at  present  are  different  from  those  which 
originally  characterized  such  mounds. 

These  facts  will  show  how  very  difficult,  not  to  say  impos- 
sible, is  any  classification  ;  we  will,  however,  follow  that  of 
Squier;  for,  in  spite  of  some  too  apparent  inaccuracies,  it 
has  the  advantage  of  simplifying  our  task  and  supplying  an 
approximate  grouping,  each  class  of  which  will  be  success- 
ively taken  up  alterward.  They  are  :  i.  Defensive  works  ; 
2,  Sacred  enclosures;  3,  Temples;  4,  Altar  mounds;  5, 
Sepulchral  mounds ;  and  6,  Mounds  representing  animals. 
Short  ("  North  Americans,"  p.  81)  gives  a  slightly  different 
classification,  as  follows : 

'  "  Footprints  of  Vanished  Races,"  St.  Louis,  1879,  p.  30. 


■,i|HiM,«g.»,A.  i*V  1^  IdM. 


I*. 


I 


h 


88 


PRE.HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


I. — Enclosures 


II. — Mounds 


iFor  Defence. 
For  Religious  Purposes. 
Miscellaneous. 

r  Of  Sacrifice. 
J  For  Temple-sites. 
j  Of  Sepulchre. 
[  Of  Observation. 


To  these  different  lists  perhaps  may  be  added  mounds 
built  of  adobes,  or  unburnt  brick,  which  have  crumbled  to 
dust  and  are  the  remains  of  successive  dwellings 

The  whole  of  the  space  separating  the  AUeghanics  from 
the  Rocky  Mountains  affords  a  succession  of  entrenched 
camps,  fortifications  generally  made  of  earth.  There  were 
used  ramparts,  stockades,  and  trenches'  near  many  eminences, 
and  nearly  every  junction  of  two  large  rivers.  These  works 
bear  witness  to  the  intelligence  of  the  race,  which  has  so 
long  been  looked  upon  as  completely  barbarous  and  wild, 
and  an  actual  system  of  defences  in  connection  with  each 
other  can  in  some  cases  be  made  out,  with  observatories  on 
adjacent  heights,  and  concentric  ridges  of  earth  for  the  pro- 
tection of  the  entrances.  War  was  evidently  an  important 
subject  of  thought  with  the  Mound  Builders.  All  the  de- 
fensive remains  occur  in  the  neighborhood  of  water-courses, 
and  the  best  proof  of  the  skill  shown  in  the  choice  of  sites  is 
shown  by  the  number  of  flourishing  cities,  such  as  Cincin- 
nati, St.  Louis,  Newark,  Portsmouth,  Frankfort,  New  Mad- 
rid, and  many  others,  which  have  risen  in  the  same  situations 
in  modern  times." 

*  The  ditch  instead  of  skirting  the  lampart  outside,  and  thus  muhiplying  the 
obstacles  in  the  way  of  an  assailant,  is  generally  placed  inside.  Professor  An- 
drews quotes,  however,  an  oxtern.il  moat  at  Lancaster  (Fairfield  County,  Ohio), 
but  he  adds  that  it  is  an  isolated  example.  "  Report,  Peabody  Museum,"  1877, 
If  a  stockade  was  placed  on  the  rampart,  the  ditch  would  add  an  obstacle  to  at- 
tempts at  digging  a  way  in,  while  if  placed  outside  it  would  facilitate  such  an 
attack, 

*  "  The  same  places,"  says  Dr.  Lapham,  speaking  of  the  mounds  of  Wiscon- 
sin, "  which  were  the  seat  of  aboriginal  population,  are  being  now  selected  as 
the  sites  of  embryo  towns  and  villages  by  men  of  different  race."  "Smith- 
sonian Contributions,"  vol,  VIL,    p.  64. 


II   . 


pn- 
as 


THE  MOUND  BUILDERS. 


89 


Bourneville,  twelve  miles  from  Chillicothe,  is  one  of  the 
most  curious  fortified  enclosures  of  Ohio.  It  occupies  the 
summit  of  a  steep  hill ;  the  walls — a  rare  enough  instance — 
are  of  stone,  built  up  without  cement/  presenting  a  striking 
resemblance  with  the  ancient  pro-historic  forts  of  Belgium 
and  the  north  of  France.  The  closing  ridge  measures  more 
than  two  miles,  and  three  entrances  can  still  be  made  out, 
defended  by  mounds,  which  made  access  more  difficult.  In 
many  parts,  especially  near  the  entrances,  the  walls  seem  to 
have  been  subjected  to  the  action  of  a  fierce  fire,  which  has 
actually  baked  the  surface.  Basins  artificially  dugout  sup- 
plied the  inhabitants  with  the  water  they  required.  On  part 
of  the  rampart  grow  gigantic  trees,  supposed  to  be  of  great 
age. 

Round  about  these  trees  can  be  made  out  rotting  trunks, 
the  remains  of  earlier  generations  which  have  slowly  perished 
after  gaining  their  maturity.  According  to  some  arch;eolo- 
gists,  centuries  have  passed  away  since  the  forest  usurped 
the  place  of  the  abode  of  man  ;  others  with  more  probability 
think  these  trees  are  less  venerable  than  is  generally  sup- 
posed. In  Wisconsin,  says  Dr.  I.apham,"  54  to  130  years  are 
required  for  a  tree  to  increase  one  foot  in  diameter.  Among 
those  actually  living  very  few  exceed  three  or  four  feet  in 
diameter.  Lapham  therefore  concludes  that  they  cannot 
date  from  much  earlier  than  the  sixteenth  century,  and  they 
are  probably  considerably  younger. 

Fort  Hill  affords  a  still  better  example  of  these  earth- 
works. This  fortress,  for  such  it  may  justly  be  called,  rises 
from  an  eminence  overlookinii  the  little  river  of  Paint  Creek. 


'  The  Mound  Builders  used  the  materials  at  hand.  When  :,tones  were  abun- 
dant, they  piled  them  up  with  earth  to  make  their  walls,  but  these  stones  are 
never  quarried  or  dressed,  nor  are  they  ever  cemented  with  any  mortar ;  several 
instances  may  be  quoted,  notably  a  stone  fort  on  the  Duck  River,  near  Man- 
chester, Tennessee,  in  which  the  walls  are  of  unworked  stones,  detached  from 
neighboring  rocks.  At  the  entrance  two  mounds  can  be  made  out,  which  are 
supposed  to  have  been  posts  of  observation. 

'"The  Antiquities  of  Wisconsin,"  "Smith.  Cont.,"  vol.  VII.  Southall, 
"  Recent  Origin  of  Man,"  p.  583. 


I 


S\ 


•'1 


90 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


r 

I 


\. 


\ 

Mil 


I, 


i 


The  walls  enclose  an  area  of  1 1 1  acres.  Above  the  stream, 
which  formed  a  natural  defence,  they  are  hardly  four  feet 
high,  but  everywhere  else  the  height  is  six  feet,  and  they  are 
some  thirty-five  feet  thick.  Several  openings  made  entrance 
easy.  One  of  them  leads  to  an  enclosure  which  was  prob- 
ably square,  but  its  walls  have  been  in  a  great  measure  de- 
stroyed ;  no  trench  or  ditch  protects  them,  and  traces  of  a 
great  fire  can  easily  be  discerned.  In  this  second  enclosure 
Squier  places  the  dwellings  of  the  inhabitants,  built  of  un- 
burnt   bricks,  or   perhaps  mere  huts  covered  with   grass, 


Fig.  23.— Fort  Hill,  Ohio. 

branches  of  trees,  or  the  skins  of  animals  killed  in  the  chase. 
Within  the  fortifications  can  be  distinguished  two  enclosures 
— one  semicircular,  the  other  circular.  These  were  probably 
places  sacred  to  the  religious  rites,  or  to  the  councils  of  the 
chiefs.  All  this  is,  however,  mere  conjecture  ;  for  the  cus- 
toms, ceremonies,  and  mode  of  government  of  these  men 
can  only  be  inferred  from  the  very  scanty  historical  data 
relating  to  tribes  dwelling  much  further  south. 

One  of  the  most  curious  works  '  of  this  kind  is  situated  in 
Clarke  County,  Ohio.     It  is  a  fort  covering  an  area  of  only 

"Cox,  "  A  remarkable  ancient  stone  fort  in  Clarke  County,  Ohio."  Am.  Ass., 
Hartford,  Connecticut,  1S7J. 


lUi 


THE  MOUND  BUILDERS. 


9« 


in 


■eight  or  ten  acres,  and  built  at  the  top  of  a  hill  washed  on 
the  south  by  the  Ohio,  and  on  the  north  by  a  wide,  deep 
stream,  Fourteen  Mile  Creek,  which  flows  into  the  Ohio,  a 
short  distance  beyond.  This  hill,  which  is  of  conical  form, 
rises  280  feet  above  the  river,  and  on  that  side  presents 
almost  perpendicular  walls,  f  xcept  at  one  point,  where  there 
is  a  pretty  wide  fault,  the  importance  of  defending  which 
the  builders  of  the  fort  were  not  slow  to  see.  They  pro- 
tected it  therefore  with  a  wall,  nowhere  less  than  seventy- 
five  feet  high,  built  of  rough  stones  arranged  without  mortar 
or  cement  of  any  kind.  Inside,  the  traces  can  still  be  made 
out  of  a  number  of  conical  mounds  and  of  a  wide  and  deep 
ditch.  These  works  must  not  be  confounded  with  others 
situated  in  Ross  county,  and  known  under  the  name  of 
Clark's  Works.  The  latter  include  a  parallelogram  275  feet 
by  177;  and  on  the  right  of  this  parallelogram  a  square  cov- 
ering an  area  of  sixteen  acres.'  The  sides  are  eighty-two 
feet  long,  and  in  the  middle  of  each  of  them  an  entrance  can 
be  made  out,  defended  by  a  little  mound.  Inside,  accord- 
ing to  a  custom  to  which  we  shall  often  have  occasion  to 
refer,  rose  several  mounds  of  different  sizes. 

Many  of  these  works  arc  connected  with  each  other  with 
a  skill  which  may  well  surprise  us.  Squier  thinks  he  recog- 
nizes a  continuous  system  of  fortifications,  arranged  with 
wreat  intelligence,  stretching  diagonally  across  the  state  of 
Ohio,  from  the  sources  of  the  Alleghany  and  of  the  Susque- 
hanna in  the  state  of  New  York  to  the  Wabash  River. 
Along  the  liig  Harpcth  River,  Tennessee,  earthworks  are 
very  numerous.'  The  line  of  the  Great  Miami  River,  one  of 
the  tributaries  of  the  Ohio,  is  defended  by  three  forts:  one 
at  its  mouth,  a  second  at  Colerain,  and  a  third  at  Hamilton. 
Beyond  this  last  point  other  works  extend  for  a  distance  of 
six  miles  along  the   river,  protecting  the  tributaries  of  the 

'  The  amount  of  earth  used  in  making  these  earthworks  is  estimated  at  three 
millions  of  cubic  feet.  Whittlesey.  "  On  the  Weapons  and  Character  of  the 
Mound  Builders,"  Boston  Soc.  of  Natural  History,  vol.  I.,  p.  473. 

*  Dr.  Jones'  "  Explorations  of  the  Aboriginal  Remains  of  Tennessee," 
Smithsonian  Contributions,  vol.  XXII.,  p.  4. 


\\ 


■    i 

i 

,4 


R 


^  J'JiE.J//STOA'/C  AMI-i/ilCA. 

Great  Miami  on  the  north  and  west,  or  ranjjed  in  succession 
as  far  as  Dayton  and  I'iqua,  so  as  to  cc»mpletc  the  lino  of  de- 
fence. All  these  points  are  connected  with  each  other  by 
isolated  mounds,  mostly  set  upon  hills  commanding  an  ex- 
tensive view.'  These  are  supposed,  with  reason,  to  have  been 
used  as  sentinel  stations  from  which  to  watch  the  move- 
ments of  the  enemy  or  to  transmit  pre-arranged   signals.* 

Fort  Ancii'tit  is  forty-two  miles  from  Cincinnati.  Professor 
Locke,  who  was  the  first  to  describe  it,  estimates  the  quantity 
of  earth  used  in  its  construction  at  over  628,000  cubic  yards. 
It  is  built  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Little  Miami,  230  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  stream,  and  forms  behind  the  line  of 
defences,  to  which  we  have  referred,  a  central  citadel.  The 
length  of  the  enclosing  ridges  is  not  less  than  three  or  four 
miles,  and  the  walls,  where  they  have  resisted  the  ravages  of 
time,  are  nearly  twenty  feet  high.  Ilosea  has  lately  re- 
peated an  observation  often  made,  that  the  outline  of  these 
walls  made  a  rough  sketch  of  the  continents  of  America. 
If  this  be  so  it  can  be  but  a  purely  accidental  coincidence 
quite  unworthy  of  any  serious  consiiieration.  The  Rev. 
.S.  D.  Peet,  taking  up  an  entirel)'  different  point  of  view,  sees 
in  fliese  outlines  a  struggle  between  two  huge  serpents," 
another  flight  of  imagination  difficult  to  follow.  What  is 
really  of  importance  is  the  great  amount  of  work  done  by  the 
builders,  and  the  skill  they  showed  in  their  works  of  defence. 

We  must  not  omit  to  mention  the  ruins  of  Aztalan* 
^situated  on  an  arm  of  the  Rock  River,  Wisconsin.     They 

'  The  groat  Miamisburgh  mound  on  the  Ohio  is  one  of  the  best  examples  we 
c.in  cite.  It  is  sixty-eight  feet  high  and  the  circuniferenLC  of  ihe  base  is  not 
less  than  862  feet,  (Short  :  "  The  North  Americans  of  Antiquity,"  j).  52). 
Looliout  Mountain,  near  CircleviUe,  with  its  lofty  mound,  must  have  served 
the  same  purpose. 

*  Force  :  ''  A  quelle  Race  appartenaient  les  Mound  Builders"  ;  Cong,  des 
Amer.,  Luxembourg,  1877,  vol.  I.,  )>.  125.  Kev.  S.  1).  I'eet  :  "The  Military 
Architecture,"  yi/«.  atitiij.,  Jan.  1881. 

*  American  A nli(/uarian,  April,  1 878,  March,  1880. 

*  Mihvaukee  Advt'rtiser,  1837  ;  Sillimaii's  A nit-ricnn  Journal  of  Sciencf,  vol. 
XI, IV.  ;  Lapham :  "Antiquities  of  Wisconsin,"  p.  41,  plates,  XXXIV.  and 
XXXV. 


THE  MOUND  liUlLDKKS. 


93 


were  discovered  in  1836  by  Hyer,  who  gave  tlicm  the  name 
they  bear  in  memory  of  an  old  tradition  of  tlie  Mexicans, 
who  make  out  that  their  ancestors  came  from  Ax.talan  '  in  the 
North.  The  characteristic  feature  of  these  ruins  is  an  en- 
closure of  earthworks  forminj^  th.ree  sides  of  an  irrejjular 
paralleloj^ram,  of  which  the  rivers  shut  in  the  fourth 
side.  They  present  ct)nsiderable  analogy  to  those  of 
Ohio,  but  we  do  not  find  in  them  the  regularity  which  is 
generally  so  striking  in  the  latter.  The  angles  are  not  right 
angles  ;  the  northern  side  is  600  feet  long,  the  southern  6X4, 
while  the  western  wall  is  more  than  double  that  length. 
The  width  of  the  walls  is  nearly  twent)  ^.\'c  feet,  but  they  have 
crumbled  away  to  so  great  an  extent  that  it  is  imjxjssible  to 
decide  upon  their  t)riginal  height.  The  present  height 
varies  from  about  one  '^'">l  Lo  three  yards  and  a  half. 

We  must  note  one  rare  and  interesting  peculiarit)- ;  the 
walls  are  reinfoi.  d  at  ecpial  distances  with  projecting  curves 
or  bastions.  Finally,  at  the  southwest  angle  there  are  two 
little  enclosures  which  we  may  if  we  like  call  outposts.  All 
these  walls  were  constructed  of  earth  mixed  with  grass  and 
rushes,  anil  thin  subjected  in  various  parts  to  great  heat, 
doubtless  with  a  view  to  strengthen  their  cohesive  proper- 
ties. This  is  probably  the  reason  why  various  travellers  have 
stated  that  the  walls  of  Aztalan  were  built  of  brick.  We 
can  now  affirm  to  the  c<intrary. 

In  walking  round  the  inside  of  the  enclosure  it  is  still 
easy  to  make  out  a  considerable  number  of  mounds.  Some 
arc  truncated  pyramids  rising  in  successive  tiers  ;  others,  are 
tumuli.  One  of  the  latter  has  been  excavated  and  two  skele- 
tons were  bnnight  to  light.  It  was  observed  that  the 
corpses  had  been  placed  in  a  sitting  or  douliled-up  posture. 

'  The  name  of  Azttilnn  is  derived  from  two  Mexican  words  :  All,  water,  and 
An,  near  to.  In  Mexican  traditions  Aztalan,  Culhuacan,  and  A(iuilasco  were 
the  towns  the  people  of  Mexico  inhabited  before  their  migration  in  the  direction 
of  Anahuac.  (Hancroft,  vol.  V.,  pp.  156,  305.)  According  to  the  Abbe 
Brasseurde  Bourbourg,  Aztalan  is  situated  northwest  of  California.  ("  Hist, 
dcs  Nat.  Civilisees,"  vol.  II.,  p.  292.)  We  may  observe  that  nothing  is  more 
uncertain  than  such  tradition. 


\  ■■■ 


\\ 

yj 

'S^' 


^ 


r    i 


1 

! 

1. 

,f 

04 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA, 


The  bones  unfortunately  crumbled  to  dust  at  the  very  mo- 
ment of  discover)',  so  that  no  satisfactory  examination  was 
possible. 

]\Iost  archiuologists  consider  Aztalan  to  have  been  a 
fortified  post.  Lapham  alone  remarks  and  his  observa- 
tion is  not  without  justice,  that  the  situation  of  these  build- 
ings, overlooked  as  it  is  from  every  side,  would  in  that  case 
have  been  very  badly  chosen,  and  at  complete  variance  with 
all  the  traditions  of  the  builders.  In  any  case,  whether  the 
ruins  be  those  of  a  town  or  merely  of  a  fortified  enclosure, 
they  must  have  been  quickly  abandoned,  for  excavations 
have  yielded  no  remains  proving  the  long  residence  of 
man. 

Putnam,  one  of  the  most  learned  of  American  arch;eolo- 
gists,  describes'  at  Greenwood,  near  Lebanon,  Tennessee, 
some  earthworks  forming  a  true  fortification.  He  was  able 
to  make  out  the  position  of  three  entrances,  and  inside  the  en- 
closure numerous  sepulchral  tumuli  and  a  lofty  mound  form- 
ing a  truncated  cone  with  very  steep  walls  measuring  fifteen 
feet  high  by  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  diameter  at  the  base. 
.Vt  two  different  heights  excavations  have  yielded  calcined 
stones,  cinders,  and  burnt  bones,  evident  proofs  of  huge  fires, 
either  for  offering  sacrifices  or  for  funeral  rites.  The  dwell- 
ings of  the  men  vvho  made  these  earthworks  must  have  been 
circular  huts,  of  which  some  traces  can  still  be  made  out. 
The  burial-places  were  generally  at  a  distance  from  the 
homes,  but  with  touching  sentiment  the  bodies  of  children 
were  interred  close  to  the  hearths  of  their  parents.  Putnam 
considers  the  people  of  Greenwood  to  have  been  one  of  the 
most  forward  races  inhabiting  North  America.  They  tilled 
the  ground  ;  they  did  not  burn  their  dead  as  did  the  men  of 
Ohio  ;  their  pottery  and  their  ornaments  are  truly  artistic, 
and  we  find  amongst  their  relics  copper  from  Lake  Superior 
and  marine  shells.  Seven  perforated  pearls  were  picked  up 
in  the  grave  of  a  child,  so  that  trade  was  not  unknown 
to  them.     All  this  speaks  of  progressing   culture  but  not 

'  "  Report,  Peabody  Museum,"  1878,  vol.  II.,  p.  339. 


THE  MOUA'D  BUILDERS. 


95 


I 


of  any  thing  beyond  the  standard  of  the  modern   Indian. 

Sandy-Woods  settlement,'  Missouri,  includes  nine  tumuli 
and  a  considerable  number  of  circular  excavations  surrounded 
with  walls  and  with  an  external  trench.  The  present  height 
of  the  walls  varies  from  two  feet  to  three  and  one  half  feet, 
and  they  are  seven  feet  wide  at  the  base.  The  trench  is 
three  feet  at  its  deepest  part,  and  seven  feet  wide.  This 
trench  communicates  on  the  east  with  a  marsh;  so  it  has 
been  supposed  that  it  was  intended  to  supply  the  inhabi- 
tants with  the  water  they  recpiired,  and  that  the  wall  was 
intended  rather  as  a  protection  from  inundations  than  as  a 
defence  against  invaders. 

The  most  important  of  the  tumuli  of  which  we  have  just 
spoken  is  of  rectangular  form.  The  northern  and  southern 
faces  are  two  hundred  and  forty-six  feet  long,  the  eastern 
and  western  only  one  hundred  and  eighteen  feet.  The 
height  is  more  than  sixteen  feet  on  the  north,  and  nineteen 
feet  on  the  south.  The  top  forms  a  platform  fairly  easy  of 
access,  which  measures  one  hundred  and  eight  feet  b\' 
fifty-one,  which  platform  is  covered  by  numerous  fragments 
of  badly  baked  clay,  somewhat  like  bricks  of  coarse  manu- 
facture, and  nearly  all  of  them  bearing  impressions  of  grass 
or  straw,  mixed  with  the  adobe  before  baking.  Excavations 
of  this  mound  yielded  no  results.  Those  in  other  mounds 
have  been  more  fruitful,  especially  those  in  two  circular 
mounds  devoted  to  burial  purposes,  which  must  have  con- 
tained from  one  to  two  hundred  skeletons  in  each  stratum. 
The  first  layer  of  skeletons  was  arranged  on  a  level  with  the 
original  soil,  the  second  about  a  foot  above  it.  They  were 
so  much  deca)'ed  that  an  exact  statement  of  their  numbers 
cannot  be  made.  Some  of  tliese  skeletons  had  been  doubled 
up,  ethers  were  in  a  squatting  posture,  but  the  greater  num- 
ber lay  stretched  on  their  backs  or  stomachs,  or  lay  on  their 
sides.  It  has  been  remarked  that  the  fact  that  the  earth 
with  which  they  were  covered  did  not  belong  to  the  spot  in 

'\V.  1*.  Potter  :  "  Arch,  Remains  in  S.  E.  Miss'^uri."     Saint  Louis  Acad,  of 
.Sciences,  iS8o, 


'    ( 


-■ammmmmm 


96 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


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II 


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which  they  were  found,  but  must  have  been  brought  there 
from  a  distance  (not  necessarily  great)  bears  witness  to  the 
respect  shown  by  these  m<'n  to  their  dead,  and  the  im- 
portance they  attached  to  funeral  rites.  Vessels  and  broken 
pieces  of  pottery  placed  near  the  corpses  were  numerous; 
from  eight  hundred  to  one  thousand  fragments  have  been 
collected. 

As  at  Greenwood  circular  trenches  marked  the  site  of 
dwellings.  They  arc  about  two  feet  deep  by  twenty-eight 
feet  in  diameter.  The  presence,  in  some  particular  spots,  of 
heaps  of  burnt  clay,  cinders,  fragments  of  charcoal,  and  the 
calcined  bones  of  animals,  indicate  the  hearths.  They  were 
generally  in  the  centre  of  the  habitation,  and,  as  is  the  cus- 
tom among  numerous  savage  tribes,  the  smoke  escaped 
through  a  hole  made  in  the  roof. 

All  the  trenches  of  which  we  have  just  spoken  were  grouped 
irregularly  within  the  enclosure.  Every  one  chose  the  site 
that  best  suited  his  convenience,  needs,  or  pleasure,  and 
there  erected  his  home. 

On  the  branches  of  Little  River  arc  many  settlements,  in 
general  resembling  those  we  have  just  described.  There  is  an 
elliptical  mound  surrounded  by  a  wall  and  trench.  This 
mound  measures  one  hundred  and  ten  by  seventy  feet.  It  is 
eleven  feet  high.  Farther  on  in  the  Lewis  Prairie  rises  the  so- 
called  Mound  group  where  the  traces  of  a  double  wall  have 
been  made  out.  A  religious  society  utilized  one  of  the 
mounds  of  Lewis  Prairie  on  which  to  build  a  church,  and  at 
that  time  numerous  bones  appear  to  have  been  dispersed,  so 
that  Professor  Swallow's  later  excavations  were  barren  of 
results.  In  other  places  are  mounds,  banks  sometimes  of  great 
length,  intended  to  defend  the  approaches  to  a  river  or  a 
spring,  and  excavations  marking  the  sites  of  ancient  habi- 
tations. 

In  fact,  in  many  different  places  the  earthworks  of  man 
have  resisted  time  and  preserved  to  the  present  day  proofs 
of  his  existence. 

If  we  leave  the  United  States  we  may  refer  to  a  scries  of 


^^ 


m 


THE  MOUXD  BUILDERS. 


97 


trenches  extending  for  several  miles  near  Juigalpa  in  Nica- 
ragua.' Their  arrangement  is  peculiar  (fig.  24).  The  gen- 
eral width  varies  from  three  to  four  yards,  and  at  equal  dis- 
tances occur  oval  reservoirs,  the  axis  of  which  reaches  about 
twenty-six  yards. 

Two  and  four  mounds  occur  alternately  in  each  of  these 
reservoirs.  W'c  are  ignorant  alike  of  the  use  of  these  works 
and  of  the  people  who  executed  them. 

It  was  desirable  to  mention  these  trenches,  which  are 
different  from  any  thing  else  of  the  kind  reported  from  Cen- 
tral America.  \Vc  shall  not,  however,  multiply  useless  repe- 
titions, and  we  will  content  ourselves  with  adding  that  if 
fortifications  are  less  common  southwest  of  the  Missouri, 
they  are  numerous  enough  in  Iowa,  Wisconsin,  and  Indiana. 
In  the    last-named  state  and  in  Illinois  their  form  is  gen- 


I 


Fig.  24. — Trenches  at  Juigalpa,  Nicaragua. 

crally  square,  in  Iowa  and  jNIissouri  it  is  often  triangular; 
but  everywhere  we  notice  great  similarity  in  their  structure 
and  the  occurrence  of  a  central  mound.  On  all  the  rivers 
which  flow  from  the  south  and  empty  into  Lake  Erie  or 
Ontario  numerous  forts  are  met  with  ;  but  they  are  irregular, 
and  enclose  none  of  the  mounds  so  characteristic  of  the 
others  we  have  described. 

The  great  amount  of  labor  involved  in  the  erection  of 
their  fortifications,  bearing  in  mind  tlie  resources  the  builders 
had  at  their  command,  justifies  us  in  lookin'^  upon  the 
mounds  as  intended  to  be  permanent,  and  probably,  in  case 
of  the  larger  ones,  as  having  been  constructed  by  slow 
degrees.  General  Harrison,  one  of  the  early  Presidents  of 
the  United  States,  was  indeed  justified  in  the  opinion  he 
expressed  in  speaking  to  the  Historical  Society  of  Ohio," 

'  Boyle  :   "  A  Ride  Across  the  Continent,"  vol.  I.,  p.  212. 
"  Transactions  Hist.  Soc.  of  Ohio,  vol.  I.,  p.  263. 


,i 

,1 


ij*««l 


98 


PRE-HISrORIC  AMERICA. 


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■.  I 


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that  these  fortifications  were  not  erected  for  a  defence  from 
a  sudden  invasion,  for  the  height  of  the  walls  and  the  solidity 
of  their  construction  show  that  the  danger  they  were  to 
i;uard  against  was  ever  present.  General  Harrison  added : 
"The  three  mounds  that  I  have  examined,  those  of  Marietta, 
Cincinnati,  and  that  at  the  mouth  of  the  Great  IMiami,  par- 
ticularly the  latter,  have  a  military  character  stamped  upon 
them  which  cannot  be  mistaken.  War  and  struggle  have  ever 
been  the  sad  heritage  of  humanity,  and  the  New  World  was 
not  likely  to  be  more  exempt  from  them  than  the  Old." 

It  is  no  less  certain  that  similar  works  were  far  from 
uncommon  among  the  Indians.  They  were  described  by 
all  the  earlier  explorers,  notably  by  the  chronicler  of  De 
Soto's  expedition,  who  saw  them  in  the  .South  actually  occu- 
pied by  the  existing  tribes.  An  early  traveller  tells  us  that 
he  noted  one  general  mode  of  fortification,  which  was  a  cir- 
cumvallation  formed  of  palisades  from  twelve  to  fifteen  feet 
high,  with  openings  through  which  the  besieged  could  shoot 
their  arrows.  In  1 85 5  an  intrenchment  was  noticed  erected 
on  the  banks  of  the  ^lissouri,  near  Council  Bluffs,  by  an 
Indian  tribe,  the  Arikarces.  This  intrenchment,  in  accord- 
ance with  a  constant  tradition  of  their  race,  was  made  of 
trunks  of  trees  piled  one  upon  the  other.'  Catlin  describes 
a  large  Mandan  village,  in  which  the  inhabitants  were  pro- 
tected with  palisades.'^  The  forts  attacked  by  Champlain  in 
1609  were  defended  by  stakes  driven  into  the  ground  and 
bound  together  with  branches  of  trees  and  ropes  made  of 
bark  fibre.  Similar  fortifications  were  always  met  with  by  the 
French  in  their  long  struggles  with  the  Iroquois.  There  is  little 
doubt  that  most  of  the  encircling  walls  of  the  fortified  enclo- 
sures of  the  mounds  were  surmounted  by  some  sort  of  stock- 
ade, the  remains  of  which  have  been  occasionally  noticed. 

Some  earthworks,  occurring  chiefly  in  the  western  states, 
have  been  thought  to  show  from  the  mode  of  their  con- 

'  Am.  Ass.,  Worcester,  Massachusetts,  1855. 

'"Illustrations  of  the  Manners,  Customs,  and  Conditions  of  the   North 
American  Indians,"  London,  i856,  2  vols. 


THE  MOUND  BUILDERS. 


99 


struction  that  they  were  not  intended  for  defence.  Forts 
were  erected  in  places  naturally  indicated,  often  on  heights 
all  but  inaccessible.  The  enclosures,  on  the  contrary,  to 
which  Squicr  and  others  wrongly  give  the  title  of  sacred,  are 
on  the  banks  of  rivers,  in  valleys  overlooked  by  the  neigh- 
boring hills,  serious  drawbacks  which  the  Mound  Builders 
avoided  in  the  erection  of  their  purely  defensive  forts. 

These  enclosures,  which  were  in  all  probability  village  de- 
fences, by  whatever  name  we  may  call  them,  are  always  of 
regular  form,  square  or  circular,  more  rarely  elliptical  or 
polygonal.  All  the  figures  are  perfect,  all  the  angles  arc 
right  angles,  all  the  sides  are  equal.  The  men  who  built 
them  certainly  understood  the  art  of  measuring  surfaces  and 
angles.  The  walls  vary  in  height,  and  their  original  eleva- 
tion can  only  now  be  guessed  at.  We  may  add  that  these 
works  are  so  large,  their  arrangement  so  varied,  and  their 
numbers  so  great,  that  it  is  very  difficult  to  give  an  exact 
idea  of  them.     A  few  examples  will  help  us  to  do  so. 

The  most  remarkable  group  is  probably  that  of  Newark, 
in  the  Scioto  Valley.  It  includes  an  octagon  covering  an 
area  of  fifty  acres,  a  square  of  twenty  acres,  and  two  circles 
of  twenty  and  thirty  acres  respectively.  The  walls  of  the 
larger  circle  still  measure  twelve  feet  high  by  fifty  feet  wide 
at  their  base ;  they  are  protected  by  an  internal  trench  seven 
feet  deep  by  thirty-five  feet  nidc.  According  to  a  survey 
made  by  Colonel  Whittlesey,  the  whole  of  these  buildings 
occupy  an  area  of  twelve  square  miles,  and  the  length  of  the 
series  of  mounds  exceeds  two  miles.  The  large  entrances 
are  defended  by  slopes  thirty-five  feet  high,  trenches  thirteen 
feet  deep,  passages  forming  regular  labyrinths  adding  to  the 
difficulties  of  access  ;  mounds  of  strange  form,  one  of  which 
resembles  a  bird's  foot,  with  the  middle  claw  155  feet  long, 
and  those  on  either  side  1 10  feet  long,  all  astonish  the  ex- 
plorer. On  these  abandoned  ruins,  forest-trees  have  grown 
to  a  great  age  ;  others  preceded  them,  their  gigantic  trunks, 
now  in  a  state  of  decomposition,  bearing  witness  to  their 
existence.     Man,  actuated  by  motives  unknown  to  us,  fled 


:l 


lOO 


PRE-HISTOKIC  AMERICA. 


from  the  scenes  where  every  thing  testifies  to  his  power  and 
his  intelligence  ;  the  vigorous  vegetation  of  nature  is  the 
only  life  which  has  endured. 

At  Chillicothe '  we  meet  with  a  circle  more  than  one  hun- 
tlred  feet  in  diameter  and  an  octagon  of  somewhat  smaller 
dimensions.  The  walls  of  the  octagon,  like  those  at  Newark, 
are  from  ten  to  twelve  feet  high,  by  fifty  feet  thick  at  the 
base.     The  height  of  the  walls  of  the   circle,  partially  de- 


Fig.  25. — Group  at  Liberty,  Ohio. 

stroyed,  is  nowhere  more  than  four  and  a  half  to  five  feet. 
All  round  these  enclosures  great  numbers  of  small  circles, 
scarcely  above  the  level  of  the  ground,  can  still  be  made 
out.  At  Hopetown,  near  Chillicothe,  there  are  a  circle  and 
a  square  adjoining  each  other;  together  they  cover  an  area 
of  exactly  twenty  acres. 

We  give  a  drawing  of  a  group  somewhat  resembling  the 
one  we  have  just  described,  and  which  can  be  more  clearly 
examined  (fig.  25).     It  is  situated  near  Liberty,  Ohio,  and 

'  Squier  :  "  Anc.  Monuments  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,"  pi.  XVI. 


THE  MOUND  BUILDERS. 


lOI 


consists  of  two  circles  and  a  square.  The  diameter  of  the 
large  circle  is  1,700  feet,  and  it  covers  an  area  of  forty  acres ; 
the  diameter  of  the  little  one  is  500  feet ;  the  area  covered  by 
the  square,  each  side  of  which  is  1,080  feet  long,  is  twenty- 
seven  acres.  The  walls  are  not  connected  with  a  trench, 
and,  contrary  to  the  custom  generally  followed,  the  earth  of 
which  they  are  composed  is  taken  from  trenches  cut  within 
the  circle.' 

Circleville,  Ohio,  takes  its  name  from  structures  of  this 
kind  ;  a  square  and  circle  touching  one  another.  The  side 
of  the  square  measures  875  feet  ;  and  the  diameter  of  the 
circle  is  985  feet. 

Eight  openings,  one  at  each  angle  and  in  the  middle  of 
each  side,  give  access  to  the  square  mound  ;  each  of  these 
was  defended  by  a  mound,  and  the  circle  was  surrounded  by 
a  double  wall.  This  group  has  already  been  greatly  muti- 
lated ;  many  others  have  unfortunately  shared  its  fate,  and 
we  must  hasten  to  study  these  last  witnesses  of  a  by-gone 
condition  of  things,  for  the  plow  invades  them  every  day, 
and  no  relic  of  this  remote  jjast  can  long  resist  the  necessi- 
ties of  modern  life. 

An  enclosure  built  of  stone,  near  Black  Run,  Ross  county, 
Ohio,  merits  special  notice.  It  is  of  elHi^tical  form,  the  large 
axis  measuring  246  feet,  and  the  small  one  167  feet.  A 
single  opening  gives  access  to  it,  and  in  front  of  this  five 
walls  stretch  out  in  the  form  of  a  fan,  but  there  is  absolutely 
nothing  to  explain  their  purpose. 

The  number  and  extent  of  these  enclosures,  with  the 
great  area  they  cover,  forbids  us  to  look  upon  them  as  tem- 
ples. Wc  know  of  no  worship,  ancient  or  modern,  of  no 
rite,  with  which  they  can  be  connected.  It  is  more  reasona- 
ble to  suppose  them  to  have  been  fortified  villages,  accord- 
ing to  a  usage  met  with  in  various  parts  of  the  Mississippi 
Valley  by  the  first  explorers.  According  to  Ferguson,  the 
small  enclosures  so  often  joined  on  to  the  large  one,  was  the 
chief's  dwelling ;  the  tents  of  his  companions  and  those  of 


'  Bancroft,  vol.  IV.,  p.  759  ;  Short,  p.  48. 


I02 


PRE.HISrORlC  AMERICA. 


!■ 


the  members  of  his  family  havin<^  been  grouped  about  his. 
Squier  has  given  the  name  of  temples  to  some  truncated 
pyramids,  the  summits  of  which  are  reached  by  inclined 
planes.  Some  of  them  were  doubtless  so  used.  Occasion- 
ally these  pyiamids  are  in  terraces  or  successive  stories,  but 
whatever  their  form,  whether  they  be  round,  oval,  polygonal, 
or  square,  they  always  end  in  a  platform  at  the  top.     The 


% 


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Fig.  2G. — Truncated  mound  at  Marietta  (Ohio). 

early  explorers  '  found  the  houses  of  the  chiefs  in  fortified 
villages  always  built  on  such  mounds,  others  of  which  were 
used  for  religious  purposes.  Hence  the  name  by  which  they 
are  known.  These  mounds  are  very  numerous  at  Chillicothe, 
Portsmouth,  Marietta,  (fig.  26),  and  generally  throughout  the 
whole  of  the  State  of  Ohio.     They  arc  also  met  with  in  Ken- 

'  Garcilasso  de  la  Vega  reports  that  in  Florida  the  chiefs  used  such  mounds 
as  sites  for  their  dwellings.  lie  mentions  one  no  less  than  1,800  feet  in  cir- 
cumference. 


THE  MOUND  BUILDERS. 


103 


tucky,  Missouri,  Tennessee,  and  the  southern  states.  They 
arc  more  rare  in  the  North,  though  they  occur  as  far  as  the 
shores  of  Lake  Superior,  which  seems  to  have  been  the  ex- 
treme northern  limit  of  the  mounds. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  of  these  mounds  is  without 
doubt  that  of  Cahokia,  Illinois.'  It  rises  in  the  centre  of 
sixty  others,  of  heights  varying  from  thirty  to  sixty  feet,  and 
covering  an  area  of  six  acres,  according  to  Hass,  but  double 
that  extent  according  to  Putnam.  The  great  pyramid  of 
Cheops,  we  maj'  remark  by  the  way,  covers  an  area  of  thir- 
teen acres. 

The  great  mound  overlooks  all  the  others,  and  attains,  in 
four  successive  terraces,  a  height  of  ninety-one  feet ;  its  base 
measures  t^Cyo  feet  by  720 ;  the  platform  covering  it,  146  by 
310,  and  it  is  estimated  that  25,000,000  of  cubic  feet  of  earth 
were  used  in  its  construction."  Of  course  many  years  and 
thousands  of  workmen  were  needed  for  carrj'ing  on  and  com- 
pleting so  considerable  a  work. 

The  large  mound  was  surmounted  by  a  smaller  one  of 
pyramidal  form,  which  may  have  been  ten  feet  high,  and 
was  destroyed  a  few  years  ago.  In  demolishing  it  were 
found  many  human  bones,  bits  of  chert,  arrow-points,  frag- 
ments of  coarsely  made  and  badly  burnt  pottery,  remains  of 
offerings  or  of  sacrifices.  The  ajiproaches  of  this  mounil, 
which  evidently  played  an  important  part  in  the  history  of 
these  people,  were  defended  by  four  square  mounds,  facing 
east,  west,  and  southwest.  These  mounds  vary  in  height 
from  twenty  to  thirty  feet,  and  on  two  of  them  had  been 
erected  conical  pj^ramids,  resembling  pretty  closely  those 
surmounting  the  central  mound. 

The  Seltzcrtown  mound  is  hardly  less  imposing  than  that 
of  Cahokia.     The  base  is  a  parallelogram  six  hundred  feet  by 

'  W.  De  Hass,  Am.  Ass.,  Chicigo  1S67  ;  Putnam,  "Report,  I'eabody 
Museum,"  vol.  II.,  p.  471.  etc.  Putnam  gives  the  plan  of  Cahokia  as  it 
is  and  the  restored  plans  .  It  is  known  under  the  name  of  Monks'  Mound, 
because  Breckenridge,  who  visited  it  in  1811,  located  by  mistake  a  Trappist 
convent  on  it,  which  was  really  on  a  neighboring  mound. 

"  Force,  quoted  above,  says  20,000,000  of  cubic  feet  only. 


h 


104 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


J 


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four  hundred  feet  ;  its  height  is  forty  feet,  and  the  platform, 
which  is  reached  by  a  flight  of  steps,  is  no  less  than  three  acres 
in  extent.'  On  this  platform  rise  three  conical  mounds,  the 
largest  of  which  is  also  forty  feet  high,  which  gives  to  the 
structure  as  a  whole  a  height  of  eighty  feet  above  the 
ground.  This  mound  presents  this  peculiarity:  the  whole 
of  the  northern  side,  that  most  exposed  to  inclemency  of 
weather,  is  strengthened  by  a  wall '  two  feet  thick,  made,  as 
is  very  common  amongst  the  Mexicans,  of  adobes,  or  mud 
bricks  dricil  in  the  sun.  Some  of  these  bricks  have  retained 
to  this  day  the  marks  of  the  fingers  of  the  workmen  who 
made  them. 

At  New  Madrid,  a  mound  of  considerable  dimensions  is 
surrounded  by  a  trench  five  feet  deep  by  ten  feet  wide  ;  and 
the  explorers  of  this  county  report  having  found,  among 
the  ruins  bordering  the  rivers  and  streams  tributary  to  the 
Missouri,  a  mound  of  the  form  of  a  parallelogram,  rising 
above  every  thing  near  it.  Professor  Swallow  describes  one 
of  these  mounds,  which  he  considers  very  ancient,  as  meas- 
uring nine  hundred  feet  in  circumference  at  its  base  and  five 
hundred  and  seventy  feet  at  the  summit.  The  most  interest- 
ing fact  revealed  by  the  excavation  is  the  existence  of  an  in- 
terior chamber,  formed  of  poles  of  elm  or  cypress,  set  like  the 
rafters  in  the  roof  of  a  house.  The  rafters  were  tied  with 
reeds  and  covered  inside  and  out  with  a  plaster  of  marl.  The 
outside  plastering  was  left  rough,  but  the  inside  was  smoothed 
carefully  and  coated  with  red  ochre."  Excavations  have 
yielded  syenite  disks  and  numerous  pieces  of  pottery,  among 
others  a  vessel  moulded  on  a  human  skull,  which  cannot  be 
taken  out  without  breaking  it  (fig.  27).  A  sycamore  twenty- 
eight  feet,  a  nut-tree  twenty-six  feet,  and  an  oak  seventeen 
feet   in    circumference,    overshadow  one  of    these  mounds. 

*  Squier  and  Davis:  "  Anc.  Mon.  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,"  p.  117.  Short : 
"  The  North  Americans,"  p.  72.     Foster  :  "  Treh.  Races,"  p.  112. 

'  Professor  Cox  has  discovered  near  Helena  (Phillips  county,  Arkansas)  a 
similar  wall ;  only  the  clay  instead  of  being  mixed  with  dry  grass  encloses 
numerous  fragments  of  reeds. 

'  "  Report,  Peabody  Museum,"  1875,  p.  17. 


I 
I 


\\ 


THE  MOUND  liUILDEKS. 


105 


There  is  no  doubt  that  these  trees  arc  of  later  date  than  the 
erection  of  the  mounds;  but  how  much  later  than  that  erec- 
tion was  the  seed  from  which  these  larj^e  trees  were  to  spring 
flung  by  a  chance  wind  upon  these  piles  of  earth? 

We  have  spoken  of  the  trench  protecting  the  mound  of 
New  Madrid  ;  in  other  cases  the  protection  consists  of  walls 
of  considerable  height  defending  the  approaches.  At  Ma- 
tontiple  a  mound  of  considerable  dimensions,  anc,  largely 
made  up  of  baked  earth,  was  surrounded  by  :i  circle  of 
smaller  mounds.  At  the  junction  of  the  Ohio  and  the 
Muskingum  are  to  be  seen  two  parallelograms,  the  walls  of 


*»i/. 


Fk;.  27. — Skull  enclosed  in  an  earthenware  pot. 

which  are  twenty-seven  feet  wide  at  their  base.  In  the 
middle  of  the  larger  one  rise  four  pyramids,  the  summit  of 
three  of  which  is  reached  by  a  flight  of  steps,  whilst  the  fourth 
is  inaccessible.  Two  embankments  start  from  the  sintrle 
entrance  of  the  enclosure,  which  is  on  the  west,  and  run 
down  to  the  river,  the  approaches  to  which  they  would 
appear  to  guard.  On  this  account  General  Harrison  has 
classed  Matontiple  among  fortifications,  but  the  absence  of 
a  ditch  has  led  Squier  to  form  a  diflerent  opinion. 

Let  us  now  proceed  with  a  rapid  and  very  incomplete  enu- 
meration. One  mound  rises  from  the  banks  of  the  Etowah. 
It  is  of  irregular  form  ;  it  covers  three  acres  of  ground  at  its 


io6 


Ph'E.HlSTOKlC  AMERICA. 


base,  and  it  is  flanked  by  two  smaller  mounds,  representing 
trvmcated  cones  with  steep  walls.'  Messier  Mound  (Georgia) 
is  erected  on  a  natural  eminence.  The  lieight  of  the  arti- 
ficial mound  is  fift)-five  feet,  and  the  platform  at  its  summit 
measures  one  hundred  and  fifty-six  by  sixt)'-six  feet.  There 
is  no  road  up  to  this  platform,  and  it  is  diflficult  to  climb 
to  the  lop.'  Messrs.  liertrand  and  W.  Mackinley '  also 
speak  of  several  conical  mounils  in  the  state  of  Georgia, 
made  up  of  strata,  one  on  top  of  the  other,  perhaps  dating 
from  different  periods.  The  pyramid  of  Koleemokee  is 
especially  remarkable  ;  it  is  no  less  than  ninety-five  feet  high. 
We  must  also  mention  a  mound  twenty-three  feet  high,  situ- 
ated in  the  Cumberland  Valley,  Tennessee;  excavations 
yielded  neither  bones,  implements,  nor  pottery,  but  at  a  cer- 
tain depth  stones  were  met  with  arranged  regularly,  and 
which  may  reasonably  be  compared  with  the  cromlechs  of 
Ireland  or  of  Wales.  Recent  discoveries  have  brought  to 
light  a  large  tumulus  twenty-five  miles  from  Olymp  ii,  Wash- 
ington Tcrritorx  ;  and,  if  the  accounts  of  travi.!le;  can  be 
trusted,  its  height  is  three  h.uiidred  feet,  far  cxceec  ing  that 
of  any  other  mound  yet  found.  There  is  a  single  truncat«jd 
pyramid  eight}'-eiglit  feet  high  at  Florence,  Alabama,  which 
deserves  mention  on  account  of  the  regularity  of  its  construe- ' 
tion.  Each  side  is  arranged  with  a  precision  astonishing  as 
the  work  of  people  whom  we  have,  till  cpiite  lately,  looked 
upon  as  wrapped  in  barbarism. 

We  have  followed  the  descriptions  of  American  writers, 
who  have  had  the  advantage  of  writing  and  studying  on  the 
spot  these  monuments  of  a  by-gone  time.  Whilst  accepting 
their  classification,  however,  iri  default  of  a  better,  we  must 
repeat  that  with  regard  to  the  "temples,"  as  well  as  the 
"  sacred  enclosures,"  there  is  no  proof  that  they  were  used 
for  religious  rites,  and  it  is  more  probable  that  these  rites 

'  Whittlesey:  "The  Great  Mouinl  on  Etowah  River,"  Amer.  Ass.,  Indian- 
apolis, 1871.  Traces  of  a  trench  are  supposed  to  have  been  made  out  round 
the  mound  ;  according  to  Sliort  (|).  82),  its  height  is  seventy-five  feet. 

'  Bancroft,  vol.  IV.,  p.  267. 

'  "  Travels  in  North  America,"  p.  223. 


i 


THE  MO  VXD  liill.Dl-.RS. 


107 


were  solemnized  on   ihc   altars  of   which   wc  arc  aboif  to 
speak. 

The  mounds  intended  as  altars  are  some  of  them  scjuarc, 
some  rectanjfiilar,  and  others  circular  or  elli])tical.  Invari- 
ably situated  in  an  enclosure,  they  freijuently  consist  of  hori- 
zontal la)ers of  gravel,  earth, and  santl.  I'rofessor  Andrews  ' 
has  proved  that  this  stratification  isnot.asliitherto  supposed, 
a  universal  custom.  These  materials  cover  an  altar  always 
on  a  level  with  the  soil,  and  made  of  flat  stones,  or  of  clay 
hardened  in  the  sun  or  by  fire.  Dr.  Jones  mentions  an  adobe 
alt.ir  in  Tennessee,  on  which  it  is  easy  to  make  i)ut  the  marks 
of  the  reeds  upon  whicl;  '^  hatl  been  mouUled.  In  excej)- 
tional  cases  rouL^hly  m..  toffins  of  unhewn  stone  are 
arrangeil  round  the  altar.  The  size  of  these  altars  varies  ad 
infinitum  :  some  are  but  of  a  few  inches  .scjuare,  t)thers  on  the 
contrary  are  fifty  feet  lon^  by  fifteen  feet  wide.  All  bear 
traces  of  exposure  to  violent  heat,  and  excavations  seem  to 
show  that  the  objects  offered  up  to  the  gods  to  whom  these 
altars  were  sacred  had  to  be  purified  in  the  flames  at  the 
time  of  sacrifice. 

Under  one  of  these  altars  have  been  found  thousands  of 
hyaline  quartz,  obsidian,  and  manganese  arrow-points,  of  ad- 
mirable workmanship.  All  were  mutilated  and  broken  by 
the  acticMi  of  the  fire,  and  it  was  only  after  a  long  search  that 
three  or  four  were  found  intact.  Under  another  mound  were 
found  more  than  six  hundred  hatchets,  presenting  a  certain 
analogy  with  the  European  hatchets,  of  .St.  Acheul.  These 
hatchets  averaged  seven  inches  long  by  four  inches  wide." 
Under  a  third  mound  were  exhumed  two  hundred  calcined 
pipes  and  some  copper  ornaments,  the  latter,  in  many  cases, 
covered  with  a  thin  plating  of  silver,  all  distorted  by  the  fierce- 
ness of  the  heat  to  which  they  had  been  subjected  ;  and  lastly, 
under  other  mounds,  were  discovered  fragments  of  pottery, 
obsidian  implements,  ivory  and  bone  needles,  .so  broken  up 
that  their  original  length  could  not  be  determined,  and  scroll 

'  "  The  Native  Americans,"  p.  S3,  note  2. 

*  Squier  :  "  Anc.  Mon.  of  the  Mississipiii  Valley,"  p.  213. 


i 


ii 


mtmtimt^ 


i—ii  11*1  n 


I' 

■■ff: 


li 


1 

.1. 

■!1 


>  , 

tr.       'i 


io8 


PRE-IIISTOKIC  AMERICA. 


WOK  cut  out  of  very  thin  plates  of  mica,  and  pierced  with 
•C'gular  holes  by  which  it  could  be  suspended. 

These  differences  between  the  objects  dug  up  near  the 
differe':t  altars  are  important.  Some  have  yielded  spear- 
heads and  pipes  ;  others,  fragments  of  pottery  and  needles ; 
others,  again,  only  chert  with  no  marks  of  human  workman- 
ship. It  is  probable  that  the  offerings  varied  according  to 
circumstances. 

We  must,  howe\  er,  add  that  lately  doubts  have  arisen  as 
to  the  purpose  of  these  mounds.     These  altars  on  a  level 


Fig.  2S. — Group  near  the  Kickapoo  River,  Wisconsin. 

Avith  the  ground,  buried  beneath  heaps  of  sand  or  earth,  ap- 
pear strange,  and  are  without  precedent  in  the  history  of  any 
known  religion.  The  question  has  been  asked  whether  they 
are  not,  after  all,  burial-places  where  cremation  was  the  rite 
performed.  The  great  number  of  similar  objects  met  with 
seem  to  me  to  bear  against  this  hypothesis,  but  this  is  a 
point  which  later  excavations  and  fresh  discoveries  alone 
can  determine. 

Perhaps  two    groups  recently  discovered  in  Wisconsin  ' 
may  be  classed  amongst    sacrificial  mounds.      The  first  is 

'  Conant,  p.  20. 


'?asi 


THE  MOUiVn  BUILDERS. 


109 


th 

he 
ir- 

s; 

n- 

to 

IS 

el 


situated  in  a  low  meadow  near  the  Kickapoo  River  (fig,  28). 
The  height  of  the  central  mound,  which  represents  a  radiat- 
ing circle,  is  but  three  feet  ;  its  diameter  is  sixty  feet,  and 
is  surrounded  by  five  crescentic  ridges,  rising  scarcely  two 
feet  above  the  ground,  presenting  a  flat  upper  surface.  Ex- 
cavations show  that  these  mounds  were  made  up  of  white 
sand  and  bhiish  clay.  They  have  yielded  only  a  considerable 
number  of  phites  and  very  thin  fragments  of  mica.  Mica 
seems  to  have  been  much  used  by  the  Indian  tribes  of  the 
United  States,  who  were  able  vo  obtain  it.     It  is  frequently 


Fig.  2g, — Group  of  mounds  (Wisconsin). 

found  in  graves  and  on  the  altar  places,  especially  in  the 
southeast,  where  it  is' particularly  abundant  in  the  mountain 
districts  of  North  Carolina  and  Virginia. 

The  .second  group  (fig.  29),  situated  a  short  distance  from 
the  first,  is  more  complicated  in  its  arrangement.  It  con- 
sists of  two  circles  separated  by  a  pentagon  and  several  de- 
tached mounds.  The  diameter  of  the  large  circle  is  twelve 
hundred  feet.  In  the  centre  rises  an  altar,  in  connection 
with  which  a  romantic  story  about  the  offering  up  of  human 
sacrifices  has  been  invented,  which  it  is  unnecessary  to  quote. 

The  most  numerous  mounds  are  those  which  rise  from 


I 


m 


'm^ 


I  'i 


: 


.¥ 


IIO 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


graves ;  at  all  ages  and  places  man  shows  respect  to  the 
mortal  remains  of  him  who  was  a  man  like  himself.  Affec- 
tion for  parents  or  friends,  the  universal  notion  of  a  future 
life,  vague  and  materialistic  though  it  evidently  was  in  that 
stage  of  culture,  perhaps  also  the  desire  of  propitiating  the 
dead,  or  the  fear  of  the  vengeance  of  him  whose  corpse  had 
been  profaned  ;•  all  these  motives  combine  to  produce  the 
respect  for  the  dead  which  \\q  meet  with  among  most  bar- 
barous as  well  as  most  civilized  people. 


Fk;.  30. — Group  of  sepulchral  mounds. 

Sepulchral  mounds  (fig.  30),  everywhere  showing  many 
points  of  resemblance,  are  met  with  throughout  the  United 
States.  Frequent  supplementary  burials  add  to  the  origi- 
nally great  difficulties  of  studying  them.  At  different 
epochs  they  have  been  used  by  successive  tribes  of  Indians, 
and  even  by  tiie  whites,  for  the  burial  of  their  dead.  It  is, 
however,  often  possible  to  distinguish  the  intrusive  inter- 
ments, which  are  near  the  surface,  whilst  the  bodies  placed 
on  a  level  with  the  ground  certainly  belonged  to  the  race  of 
the  builders  of  the  mounds.  There  are  few  traditions  relat- 
ing to  these  mounds  among  the  Indians,  who  generally 
deny  that  they  were  the  works  of  their  ancestors,  which  often 
may  be  true,  so  great  are  the  migrations  and  changes  whicli 


THE  MOUND  BUILDERS. 


iir 


have  taken  place  during  the  last  few  centuries.  Brcckcn- 
ridge,  however,  in  speaking  of  the  excavations  of  the  Big 
Mound  (fig,  31),  which  a  short  time  since  was  a  prominent 
object  within  the  city  limits  of  St.  Louis,  says  that  the  In- 
dians hastened  to  take  from  it  the  bones  of  one  of  their 
chiefs. 

Mounds  are  connected  with  very  different  rites,  and 
among  them  we  meet  with  every  form  of  burial  in  use  in 
Europe  ;  the  bodies  were  sometimes  extended  horizontally, 
sometimes  doubled  up.  We  noted  at  Sandy  Woods  settle- 
ment the  different  positions  of  the  bodies  ;  in  Union  county, 


Fig.  31.— Big  Mound  at  St.  Louis  (Missouri). 

Kentucky,  the  bodies  were  placed  one  upon  another  without 
apparent  method.'  Cremation,  too,  was  practised.  In  Mis- 
souri the  body  was  sometimes  covered  over  with  a  layer  of 
clay,  after  which  a  huge  funeral  pile  was  lighted.  Mention 
has  also  been  made  of  remains  found  in  Ohio,  covered  with 
a  layer  of  clay  made  so  hard  by  baking  that  it  was  only  with 
the  greatest  trouble  that  it  could  be  cut  into."  Gillman  tells 
of  having  found  in  Florida  the  ashes  of  the  dead  preserved 
with  pious  care  in  human  skulls."  In  Kansas  stones  were 
heaped  over  the  body,  forming  a  cairn.*     In  other  places 

'  Lyon  :  "  Smiths,  Contr.,"  1870. 
°  "  Burial  Mounds  in  Ohio,"  Am.  Ant.,  July,  1879. 
'  Explorations  in  the  vicinity  of  Aledo,  Florida, 
*  "  Report,  Peabody  Museum,"  vol.  IL,  p,  717. 


I 


mmm 


112 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


':,    .1 


skeletons  have  been  found  wrapped  up  in  a  few  fragments 
of  coarse  tissue,  or  in  bandages  of  bark.  Squier  '  describes 
a  sepulchre  excavated  under  his  direction  in  which  the  earth 
had  been  levelled  and  a  layer  of  bark  placed  beneath  the 
corpse.  Round  about  lay  some  implements  and  a  few  orna- 
ments, including  two  bear's  teeth  which  were  pierced  ;  above 
the  skeleton  was  a  second  layer  of  bark,  carefully  arranged, 
and,  piled  upon  these,  earth,  forming  a  mound. 

Under  a  mound  at  Chillicothe,  the  skeleton  was  discovered 
of  a  very  tall  woman  who  died  young  ;  her  teeth  were  all  in- 
tact, and  at  her  feet  lay  the  bones  of  a  child.  Beneath  these 
human  remains  was  greasy  black  earth,  in  which  the  microscope 
has  revealed  remains  of  animal  matter  and  heaps  of  cinders. 
Further  excavations  brought  to  light  a  great  many  other 
bones.  It  is  uncertain  whether  they  were  those  of  unfortu- 
nates offered  up  in  sanguinary  rites,  or  merely  of  those 
whose  remains  had  been  subjected  to  cremation  as  a  mark 
of  respect.  All  the  bodies  lay  on  the  left  side,  and  by  each 
one  was  placed  a  vessel  full  of  food,  which  would  hardly 
have  been  provided  for  victims.  These  arc  very  character- 
istic funeral  rites. 

Other  explorers  tell  of  vast  cemeteries,  or  groups  of 
mounds,  which  they  look  upon  as  the  sepulchres  of  great 
chiefs.  We  shall  mention  the  most  important  discoveries 
and  endeavor  to  show  to  what  different  rites  they  bear 
witness. 

Near  New  Madrid,  Conant  noticed  that  the  bodies  were 
placed  horizontal!)',  with  the  head  turned  toward  the  centre 
of  the  mound.  Vessels  were  placed  on  the  right  and  the 
left,  and  a  third  was  held  upon  the  breast  by  the  crossed 
arms  of  the  dead.  Mr.  II.  Gillman  mentions  a  burial 
mound  at  Fort  Wayne,  where  the  confusion  in  which  the 
bones  lay  showed  numerous  secondary  burials,  but  where  in- 
humation had  always  been  the  mode  employed.  Some  pot- 
tery vases  give  evidence  of  an  art  that  had  already  made 
progress. 

'  "  Ant.  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,"  p.  164. 


THE  MOUND  BUILDERS. 


113 


;  i 


The  excavations  at  Madisonville  in  the  valley  of  the  Lit- 
tle Miami,  Ohio,  by  Metz  dnd  Putnam,  have  yielded  more 
than  six  hundred  skeletons  of  every  age  and  of  both  sexes. 
Near  them  were  picked  up  numerous  pots,  some  of  them 
decorated  with  incised  designs.  Two  were  decorated  with 
small  medallions  representing  human  heads.  Other  articles 
found  were  stone  pipes,  arrow-points,  knives,  hammers,  pol- 
ished adzes,  bone  implements,  and  shell  and  copper  orna- 
ments.' 

No  less  interesting  were  Farquharson's  excavations  near 
Davenport,  Iowa.  One  of  the  mounds  is  thirty  feet  in  di- 
ameter and  five  feet  high.  The  successive  layers  counting 
from  the  top  are  :  earth,  one  foot ;  stones  brought  from  the 
bed  of  the  river,  one  and  one  half  feet ;  second  layer  of  earth, 
one  and  one  half  feet ;  layer  of  shells,  two  inches ;  third 
layer  of  earth,  one  foot ;  second  layer  of  shells,  four  inches. 
Five  skeletons  stretched  out  horizontally  rested  on  the  last 
layer.  The  objects  placed  with  the  dead  consir.ted  of  a  large 
sea-shell  {Ihisycon pcrvcrsuui — L.) ;  two  unused  copper  axes 
covered  with  a  woven  tissue  of  which  the  remains  could  still 
be  made  out ;  an  awl  also  of  copper,  a  stone  arrow-point,  and 
two  pipes — -one  representing  a  frog.  The  human  bones 
crumbled  to  dust  as  soon  as  they  were  brought  to  light,  so 
that  no  examination  was  possible.  The  objects  picked  up  in 
the  other  mounds  of  Iowa  were  of  a  similar  kind  ;  two  pipes 
are  mentioned,  one  representing  a  pig,  the  other  a  bird,  both 
presenting  a  considerable  resemblance  to  those  of  Ohio.  We 
must  also  mention  the  tooth  of  a  gray  bear,  pierced  with  a  hole 
by  which  to  hang  it  on  a  cord  ;  careful  examination  proved 
this  tooth  not  to  be  a  real  one,  but  an  imitation  in  bone. 
These  people  were  therefore  not  wanting  in  powers  of  ob- 
servation. Under  a  mound  near  Toolesborough,  Iowa,  was 
picked  up  a  shell  alleged  to  be  native  to  South  America," 
which  had  been  brought  far  away  from  the  scenes  where  the 
mollusk  had  lived  to  which  it  had  belonged. 

'  "  Bulletin,  Harvard  University,"  June,   1S81. 

'  American  Anti(/tianaH,  1879.     This  statement  requires   confirmation   by 
an  expert  conchologist. 


114 


PKE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


1  'i 


\v 


Deacon  Elliot  Frinck  speaks  of  a  skeleton  buried  head 
downward.'  This  would  be  a  curious  fact,  but  it  is  one  of 
so  exceptional  a  character  in  America  as  well  as  in  the  Old 
World,  that  one  cannot  help  thinking  the  corpse  was  origi- 
nally placed  in  a  sitting  or  doubled  up  posture,  and  that  the 
pressure  of  the  earth  or  the  decomposition  of  the  body- 
caused  the  head  to  slip  between  the  knees.  In  Wisconsin 
the  dead  were  wrapped  in  bandages  of  bark  and  seated 
facing  the  east.  No  weapons  or  ornaments  were  placed 
near  them,  and  Dr.  Lapham's  numerous  excavations  have 
produced  nothing  but  three  vases  of  very  common  pottery." 

In  other  places,  in  Tennessee  for  instance,  numerous 
skeletons,  apparently  dating  from  the  time  of  the  Mound 
Builders,  have  been  found  in  caves.  In  one  of  these  caves, 
fifteen  miles  from  Sparta,  some  human  remains  were  found 
enclosed  in  baskets  made  of  rushes  artistically  plaited  ;  nor 
is  this  an  isolated  instance.  Hey  wood  relates  having  seen 
on  Smith's  Fork,  near  Cairo,  the  skeletons  of  a  man  and  of  a 
woman  laid  in  baskets.'  Humboldt  mentions  similar  facts 
in  Peru.*  The  most  curious  sepulchres  are,  however,  those 
in  which  the  dead  were  buried  between  slabs  of  rough  stone, 
or  in  sepulchral  chambers,  recalling  the  chambered  barrows 
of  England. 

Since  1818,  a  cemetery  has  been  found  at  Trenton,  fifteen 
miles  from  St.  Louis,  where  the  skeletons  lay  in  cists  made 
of  six  stones,  clumsily  put  together  without  cement  of  any 
kind.  The  largest  of  these  cists  were  not  more  than  fifty 
inches  in  length,  and  the  bodies  must  have  been  curled  up 
in  them,  or  the  bones  placed  there  after  decomposition  of 
the  flesh.  Hence  the  popular  belief,  maintained  to  this  day, 
that  Missouri  and  Tennessee  were  originally  inhabited  by  a 
race  of  pygmies. 

'Perkins:  "Ancient  Burial-Ground  in  Swanton,  Vermont."    "Rep.  Am. 
Vss.,"  Portland,  1873. 

«  "  Aj-     of  Wisconsin,"    "  Smitlis.  Contr.,"  vol. VII. 

"^  plorations  of  the  Aboriginal  Remains  of  Tennessee."  "Smiths. 
'"     .r  .      .'.      '■'Jill.,  Washington,  1876. 

••    •  .'-'e-  '^i^l  Travels  to  the  Equinoctial  Regions  of  America,"  vol.  II.,  p. 
^:6  ■'-        .  "^    ■.  ,'«^dition,  1852. 


I. 


THE  MOUND  BUILDERS. 


"5 


Other  discoveries  have  supplemented  these.  During  the 
session  of  the  American  Association  for  the  Advancement 
of  Science,  at  Nashville,  in  1877,  several  of  the  numer- 
ous mounds  of  Tennessee  were  excavated.'  Putnam  was  of 
the  opinion  that  they  were  the  graves  and  the  work  of 
the  same  race  as  that  of  which  he  had  found  cemeteries  in 
Arkansas,  Missouri,  and  Illinois."  These  mounds  were  situ- 
ated on  a  farm  belonging  to  Miss  Bowling.  The  skulls 
were  of  similar  form,  the  ornaments  and  pottery  of  similar 
manufacture.  The  number  of  the  skeletons  was  consider- 
able. Their  figure  was  estimated  at  between  six  and  eight 
hundred ;  one  of  the  sepulchres  alone,  excavated  under  the 
personal  superintendence  of  the  learned  keeper  of  the 
Peabody  Museum,  yielded  nearly  fifty.  The  bodies  with  but 
one  exception  were  enclosed  between  slabs  of  unwrought 
stone  of  varying  size,  and  these  sarcophagi  were  arranged 
hap-hazard  in  successive  layers."  Some  were  empty,  doubt- 
less awaiting  the  body  that  was  to  occupy  them.  The  bodies 
were  stretched  out  horizontally,  and  near  each  had  been 
placed  pieces  of  pottery  of  various  forms,*  stone  and  bone 
implements,  and  shell  ornaments,  the  last  souvenirs  given  to 
the  dead.  In  Madison  county,  Illinois,  two  stone  cists  were 
found  which  have  been  described  in  detail  by  Bandelicr. 
They  form  a  rectangle,  each  side  of  which  is  made  of  slabs 
of  limestone  in  their  natural  condition,  showing  no  trace 
of  human  workmanship.  The  bones  were  so  mixed  together 
that  they  are  supposed  to  have  been  thrown  into  the 
cist  after  the  decomposition  of  the  flesh.  Although  the 
antiquity  of  these  bones  seems  to  be  great,  one  of  the  skulls 

'  "Numerous  stone  graves  containing  human  remains  are  at  the  present  day 
found  along  the  banks  of  the  rivers  and  streams  in  the  fertile  valleys,  and  around 
the  cool  springs  which  abound  in  the  limestone  region  of  Tennessee  and 
Kentucky.  These  ancient  repositories  of  the  dead  are  frequently  surrounded  by 
extensive  earthworks." — Dr.  Jones. 

"  "  Report,  Peabody  Museum,"  1878,  vol.  II.,  p.  203,  etc. 

°  "  Arch.  Explorations  in  Tennessee,"  "  Report,  Peabody  Museum,"  vol.  II., 

P-  305. 

*  In  the  following  chapter  we  shall  recur  to  the  very  curious  pieces  of  pottery 
found  in  these  excavations. 


ii6 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


I! 


\ 


has  been  recognized  by  competent  judges  as  approaching  the 
type  of  the  present  Indian  race. 

More  important  work  and  more  complicated  arrangement 
are  seen  in  the  chambered  mounds.  We  mention  first 
one  of  the  most  remarkable  tumuli,  that  of  Grave  Greek, 
Virginia,  at  the  junction  of  that  stream  with  the  Ohio. 
This  mound,  which  is  of  considerable  size,  encloses  two 
sepulchral  chambers  one  at  about  thirty  feet  above  the 
other.  They  nere  built  of  beams,  which,  gradually  giving 
way,  let  the  stones  and  earth  piled  up  on  the  roof  fall  into 
the  vacant  space  and  crush  the  skeletons  which  had  been 
laid  in  the  chambers.  The  upper  room  contained  but  one 
body,  the  lower  two  bodies — one  of  a  man,  the  other  of 
a  woman.  Beside  them  lay  numerous  mica  ornaments,  shell 
collars,  copper  bracelets,  and  some  fragments  of  hewn  stone. 
From  the  lower  room  was  entered  a  larger  one  where 
ten  skeletons  were  found  in  a  squatting  posture,  but  un- 
fortunately so  much  decomposed  that  they  could  not  be  sub- 
jected to  any  scientific  examination.  It  is  supposed  that 
they  were  the  remains  of  unfortunate  victims  immolated  in 
honor  of  the  chief  to  whom  the  tomb  was  devoted. 

At  Ilarrisonville,  Franklin  county,  Ohio,  excavations  have 
brought  to  light  rough  stones  placed  one  on  top  of  the  other, 
without  any  trace  of  mortar  ;  after  removing  the  earth,  roots 
and  rubbish  of  all  kinds  covering  it  up,  a  room  twelve  feet 
.square  was  made  out,  with  a  hearth  at  the  end  .still  filled  with 
cinders  and  charcoal,  round  about  which  lay  eight  skeletons 
of  every  age  from  the  child  to  the  old  man.  In  the  various 
valleys  of  the  same  region  rise  similar  mounds,  in  which  have 
been  found  numerous  human  bones,  stone  implements,  and 
fragments  of  pottery.  In  one  of  the  skulls  was  stuck  a 
spear  point  about  six  inches  long  which  had  probably  in- 
flicted the  death  wound.  Some  of  the  crypts  had  vaulted 
roofs '  the  better  to  resist  the  pressure  of  the  earth  above. 

'  "  Recent  explorations  of  many  mounds  have  disclosed  vaults  walled  and 
covered  with  stone,  some  of  large  dimensions,  with  contents  similar  to  those  of 
Utah,"  Conant :  "  Foot  prints  of  Vanished  Races,"  p.  75. 


THE  MOUND  iniLDKKS. 


117 


These  sepulchral  chambers  arc  chiefly  met  with  in  the 
central  states.  Kxcavations  in  Jiig  Mound,  St.  Louis,  of 
which  we  have  already  spoken  (fig.  31),  and  which  was  only 
destroyed  in  1869,  brought  to  light  the  existence  of  a  crypt 
measuring  thirty  feet  high  by  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long.' 
The  walls  were  not  of  stone  like  those  just  mentioned  but  of 
compact  clay  carefully  smoothed.  It  is  supposed  that  the 
roof  had  been  formed  of  beams  for  supporting  the  \,  eight  of 
earth.  This  is  a  plan  followed  in  many  neighboring  mounds, 
dating  probably  from  the  same  epoch.  The  bodies  were 
stretched  upon  the  bare  ground,  all  the  heads  being  turned 
toward  the  east.  In  the  black  mould  covering  the  bones, 
broken  into  fragrhents  by  the  fall  of  earth  from  above, 
were  picked  up  a  considerable  number  of  shells,  chiefly  the 
shells  of  fresh-water  mussels,  which  are  very  abundant  in  the 
neighborhood,  and  a  pretty  sea-shell  the  Marginclla  apicina 
of  Lamarck ;  also  shell  beads,  somewhat  like  those  found  in 
Ohio,  and  cut  out  of  the  Busycon  pcrversum  so  abundant  in 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

It  is  proved  beyond  a  doubt  by  numerous  instances  that 
cremation  was  practised  in  certain  cases  by  the  Mound 
Builders,  who  at  the  same  time  in  other  cases  disposed 
of  their  dead  by  inhumation.  We  have  been  speaking  of  the 
sepulchral  chambers  of  the  Missouri ;  Curtiss  speaks  of 
important  groups  on  both  sides  of  the  river.  Three  of  these 
he  had  excavated  under  his  own  superintendence  ;  the  crypts 
formed  a  square  of  eight  feet  with  a  height  of  four  to  five  feet, 
and  a  passage  several  feet  long  ended  in  an  opening  facing 
the  east.  Toward  the  base  the  walls  were  five  feet  thick 
gradually  decreasing  to  the  top,  and  built  of  stone,  without 
mortar  or  cement  of  any  kind.  One  of  the  crypts  was 
closed  with  great  slabs ;  the  others  had  probably  been 
shut  in  with  beams,  long  since  disappeared.  Each  of  them 
enclosed  several  skeletons,"  all  of  which  had  been  subjected 

'  Breckenridge :  "Views  of  Louisiana."  When  t..j  excavations  took 
place  this  crypt  had  already  been  disturbed,  but  it  could  still  be  distinguished 
over  an  area  seventy-two  feet  in  length.     Conant,  /.  c,  p.  42. 

*  In  one  of  the  crypts  Curtiss  says  he  made  out  five   skeletons  ;  in  an- 


. 


Il8 


PRE.IIISTORIC  AMERICA. 


to  fierce  heat.  The  human  bones  were  mixed  with  cinders, 
bits  of  charcoal,  and  animal  bones,  which  were  piled  upon 
the  ground  several  inches  high,  and  amongst  the  remains  the 
explorers  discovered  several  all  but  unrecognizable  frag- 
ments of  pottery,  some  stone  implements,  and  a  shark's 
tooth.  Excavations  were  also  carried  on  under  a  large 
mound  near  by,  but  no  traces  of  cremation  were  met  with  in 
it.  The  bodies  were  stretched  horizontally  on  the  ground, 
and  Mr.  Curtiss  was  able  to  make  a  valuable  collection 
of  implements,  stone  weapons,  and  carefully  manufactured 
pieces  of  pottery.  What  were  the  relations  between  the 
men  who  buried  their  dead  and  their  neighbors  who  burnt 
them  ?  Did  they  belong  to  the  same  races  ?  Did  they 
live  at  the  same  epoch  ?  There  are  no  means  of  replying 
with  any  certainty  to  these  questions. 

Missouri  is  not  the  only  region  where  cremation  was 
practised.  Dr.  Andrews  speaks  of  some  burnt  human  bones 
found  in  Connctt's  Mound,  near  Dover,  Athens  county, 
Ohio,  which  distinctly  prove  that  the  corpse  had  been  re- 
duced to  ashes  by  fire.'  Before  cremation  the  body  seems 
to  have  been  placed  in  a  wooden  coffin.  The  presence  of 
remains  of  various  matters  used  for  food,  such  as  those  met 
with  in  the  shell-heaps,  points  to  the  practice  of  feasting  in 
connection  with  the  funeral  ceremonies.  Dr.  Larkin  comes  to 
the  same  conclusions  after  the  excavation  of  a  mound  in  the 
state  of  New  York."  Under  one  of  the  mounds  rising  in 
the  Pishtaka  valley,  Lapham  collected  some  burnt  clay,  some 
stones  almost  converted  into  lime  by  the  action  of  intense 
heat,  some  pieces  of  charcoal,  and  among  all  these  a 
half  calcined  human  shin-bone.  Squier  also  mentions  sev- 
eral instances  of  skeletons  still  showing  traces  of  the  fire 
which  consumed  the  flesh. 

We  may  also  mention  a  mound  of  oval  form  situated 
in  Florida.     The  two  axes  of  the  base  measure  respectively 

other,  thirteen.  "Report,  Peabody  Museum,"  vol.  II.,  p.  717.  .See  also  E. 
1'.  West,   Western  Review,  Feb.,  1879. 

'  "  Report,  I'eabody  Museum,"  1877,  vol.  II.,  p.  59. 

""Report,  Peabody  Museum,"  j88o,  vol.  II.,  p.  722. 


I 


THE   MOUXJ)   liUILDERS. 


119 


ninety-eight  and  eighty-eight  feet.  At  different  depths 
varying  from  one  to  fifteen  feet  numerous  human  bones 
have  been  picl<ed  up,  bearing  witness  to  a  whole  scries 
of  burials.  With  these  bones  were  found  several  vases 
of  remarkable  execution  and  ornamentation,  some  frag- 
ments of  quartz,  and  a  stone  hatchet.  As  the  excava- 
tions proceeded,  cinders,  and  half-consumed  human  bones 
were  found ;  they  had  been  collected  and  placed  in  a 
skull  which  unfortunately  crumbled  to  dust  as  soon  as 
it  was  brought  to  light.  This  is  not  a  solitary  instance, 
for  we  have  already  spoken  of  other  cases  in  point.  Did 
these  skulls,  the  presence  of  which  certainly  proves  the 
use  of  a  special  funeral  ceremony,  belong  to  the  men  whose 
bodies  had  been  burned  ?  It  is  difficult  to  say ;  for  if  on 
the  one  hand  the  skulls  bear  no  mark  of  fire,  there  arc  on  the 
other  no  remains  of  skulls  among  the  human  fragments  col- 
lected. We  must  add  that  some  of  the  long  bones  seem  to 
have  been  split ;  if  this  be  really  the  case  and  we  attach  to  it 
its  natural  interpretation,  cannibalism  was  not  unknown 
among  the  Mound  Builders. 

We  may  also  mention  the  excavations  made  in  1874,  in- 
to the  mounds  on  the  Mississippi,  opposite  the  town  of 
Muscatine.  They  yielded  human  bones,  and  above  the  bones 
charcoal  and  burnt  earth,  a  positive  proof  that  a  large  fire 
hati  been  lighted  after  burial.  This  was  still  another  mode 
of  conducting  the  funeral  ceremony.' 

Cremation  is  still  practised  amongst  some  of  the  In- 
dians of  North  America.  John  Lcconte  speaks  of  having 
witnessed  scenes  of  this  description  amongst  the  Kokopas 
settled  near  Fort  Yuma,  at  the  junction  of  the  Colorado  and 
the  Gila.  A  deep  trench  had  been  dug  and  wood  piled  up 
before  the  parents  and  friends  brought  the  body.  The  faces 
of  the  men  were  painted  black  ;  the  women  howled  and  sung 
funeral  hymns  alternately.  WhCn  the  body  was  half 
consumed,  an  old  man,  one  of  the  chiefs  of  the  tribe,  ap- 
proached it  and  with  a  pointed  stick  tore  out  both  the  eyes 

^American  Antiquarian,  1S79.  3d  (luarter,  p.  gg. 


i 


\v 


'  \\ 


\ ' 


I 


1 1 


•ill 


\      i 


xao 


PRE.illSTORlC  AMERICA. 


and  held  first  one  and  then  the  other  toward  the  sun,  saying 
a  few  words  which,  according  to  the  guide  who  accompanied 
Leconte,  were  a  prayer  for  the  deceased.  When  all  was 
over  and  the  fire  put  out,  the  assistant  carefully  collected 
the  ashes  and  the  calcined  bones  to  give  them  back  to 
the  family  of  the  departed.' 

To  conclude  our  remarks  on  sepulchral  mounds  we  must 
mention  some  facts  hitherto  little  known,  and  which  il- 
lustrate still  better  the  honors  rendered  by  the  Mound 
Builders  to  their  chiefs,  and  the  pious  care  with  which  their 
funerals  were  conducted.     A  group  of  mounds  (fig.  32)  rises 


Fig.  32. — Group  of  mounds  at  the  junction  of  Straddle  Creek  and  Plumb 
River,  Illinois. 

at  the  junction  of  Straddle  Creek  and  Plumb  River,  Car- 
roll county,  Illinois.'  The  forms  of  these  mounds  vary; 
some  are  conical,  others  are  more  or  less  complete  circles. 
Excavations  have  yielded  cinders  and  a  residuum  of  black 
mould.  It  is  supposed  that  these  mounds  were  the  burial- 
places  of  men  who  burned  their  dead,  that  each  fami.y  had 
its  tomb,  and  when  one  of  the  members  died  his  v(  >lies  were 
laid  beside  those  of  his  people  and  covered  wich  a  layer 
of  earth,  and  that  this  was  continued  until  a  cone  about  two 
feet  high  was  formed.      The  circles  and  half  circles  are  sup- 

'"  Cremation  Amongst  North  American  Indians." — Am.  Ass.,  New  York, 
1874. 
'  Conant :  "  Footprints  of  Vanished  Races,"  p.  17. 


I 


:d 
as 
:d 
to 

St 

il. 
id 
ir 

es 


THE  MOUND  BUILDERS. 


lai 


b 


r- 


I 


\\ 


posed  to  indicate  tombs  the  inmates  of  which  were  not 
numerous,  but  whose  families  had  become  extinct  or  dis- 
persed, so  that  the  graves  were  never  filled.  We  give  this 
explanation  for  what  it  is  worth,  "nly  adding  that  similar 
burial-places  are  met  with  in  all  the  districts  west  of  the 
Mississippi,  in  the  Ohio  valley,  Michigan,  and  many  of  the 
norLhern  states. 

At  about  two  hundred  and  eighty  yards  from  the  group 
we  have  just  noticed  another  has  been  discovered,  dating  ap- 
parently from  the  same  epoch,  in  which  the  bodies  were 
simply  interred.  It  is  alleged  that  tradition  ascribes  this 
change  in  the  mode  of  burial  to  obedience  to  the  prophets  of 
the  tribe,  who  were  alarmed  by  an  eclipse  of  the  sun  which 
occurred  whilst  the  body  of  one  of  their  chiefs  was  be- 
ing burnt.  Without  attaching  more  importance  than  it 
deserves  to  this  tisscrted  tradition,  we  will  merely  add  that 
the  fact  of  the  simultaneous  practice  amongst  the  same 
people  of  two  funeral  rites  so  different  as  cremation  and  in- 
terment would  surprise  us  more,  if  we  did  not  know  of  many 
analogous  examples  among  the  various  races  of  Europe. 

The  second  group  (fig.  33)  discovered  in  Minnesota,  on  the 
northern  bank  of  the  St.  Peter's  River,  about  sixty  miles 
from  its  junction  with  the  Mississippi,  is  of  more  com- 
plicated appearance.  It  includes  twenty-six  mounds  placed 
at  regular  distances  from  each  other,  and  forming  together  a 
large  rectangle.'  The  central  mound  {a)  represents  a  turtle 
forty  feet  long  by  twenty-seven  feet  wide  and  twelve  feet 
high.  It  is  almost  entirely  formed  of  yellow  clay,  foreign  to 
the  locality,  and  doubtless  brought  from  a  distance.  On  the 
north  and  south  rise  two  mounds  {d)  of  triangular  form,  com- 
posed of  red  earth,  covered  with  a  thin  layer  of  soil.  Each 
of  these  mounds  is  twenty-seven  feet  long  by  about  six  feet 
wide  at  the  wider  end,  gradually  decreasing  toward  the 
opposite  end,  which  scarcely  rises  above  the  level  of  the  soil. 
At  each  corner  rises  a  circular  mound  (/)  twelve  feet  high  by 
twenty-five  feet  in  diameter.      On  the  east  and  west  are  two 

^Conant :  "  Footprints  of  Vanished  Races,"  p.  18. 


122 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


elongated  mounds  (c)  sixty  feet  long  with  a  diameter  of 
twelve  feet.  Two  smaller  mounds  (e)  on  the  right  and 
left  of  the  turtle  are  each  twelve  feet  long  by  four  feet 
high.  They  consist  of  white  sand  mixed  with  numerous 
fragments  of  mica  and  covered  with  a  layer  of  clay  and 
a  second  one  of  vegetable  mould.  The  two  mounds  [d) 
differ  in  height ;  that  on  the  south  being  twelve  feet  high  by 
twenty-seven  feet  in  diameter,  whilst  that  on  the  north 
is  only  four  feet  high,  with  a  diameter  of  twenty-two  feet. 
Lastly  thirteen  little  mounds,  the  dimensions  of  which 
are  not  given,  complete  this  remarkable  group,  which  must 
have  cost  ih*":  builders  all  the  more  work  because  part  of  the 


•  » 


iH 


I 


i 


.r 


Q  Q  @  ^ 


Fig.  33. — The  burial-place  of  the  Black  Tortoise. 

materials  can  only  have  been  obtained  from  a  considerable 
distance. 

Here  is  the  explanation  given  by  Conant,  of  the  whole 
group.  The  principal  tomb  (a)  would  be  the  last  home  of 
a  great  chief,  the  B/nck  Tortoise;  the  four  mounds  (/)  which 
form  the  c  i  lers  of  the  quadrangle  were  also  erected  as  a 
sign  of  the  mourning  of  the  tribe  ;  the  secondary  mounds 
would  be  the  tombs  of  other  chiefs,  and  the  little  mounds 
erected  in  the  north  and  souch  correspond  with  the  number 
of  bodies  which  had  been  deposited  in  them.  The  two 
pointed  mounds  {d)  indicate  that  the  B/ack  Tortoise  was 
the    last    of    his    race,    and    the    two    large    mounds    the 


0i 


THE  MOUND  BUILDERS. 


123 


importance  of  that  race  and  the  dignity  that  had  be- 
longed to  it.  Lastly,  the  two  mounds  {e)  on  the  right 
and  left  of  the  royal  tomb  mark  the  burial-places  of  the 
prophets  or  soothsayers,  who  even  to  our  own  day  play 
a  great  part  among  the  Indian  tribes.  The  fragments  of 
mica  found  in  their  tombs  would  indicate  their  rank.  It 
may  be  said  that  in  the  absence  of  any  accurate  information 
whatever,  as  to  the  origin  and  use  of  these  mounds,  the  pre- 
ceding hypothesis  is  not  more  unfounded  than  many  others 
which  might  be  invented. 

Of  all  the  mounds  erected  on  American  soil,  the  most 
curious  are  without  doubt  those  representing  animals,  first 
noticed  and  described  by  Mr.  W.  Pidgeon  in  1853.  They 
are  met  with  in  Iowa,  Ohio,  Illinois,  Missouri,  Indiana,  and 
generally  speaking  in  all  the  states  of  the  far  west ;  but 
the  chief  centre  of  these  singular  erections  seems  to  have 
been  Wisconsin,  where  they  are  very  numerous.  Some 
archaeologists  think  that  the  animal  mounds  may  perhaps 
have  been  intended  to  represent  the  totem  or  distinctive 
symbol  of  a  clan.  This  symbol  is  often  an  animal,  such  as 
the  eagle,  wolf,  bear,  turtle,  or  fox,  but,  if  the  observations 
made  may  be  relied  on,  they  are  as  often  representations  of 
objects  not  totemic  as  otherwise.  They  represent  men  with 
the  trunk,  head,  arms,  and  legs,  still  recognizable ;  mammals 
sixty-five  yards  long;  birds'  with  outspread  wings  measuring 
more  than  thirty-two  yards  from  tip  to  tip;  reptiles,  turtles, 
and  "  lizards  "  of  colossal  dimensions  ;  and,  lastly,  Pidgeon 
mentions  having  seen  in  Minnesota  a  huge  spider,  whose 
body  and  legs  covered  an  acre  of  ground. 

These  mounds  of  diverse  form  are  grouped  without  ap- 
parent order, — now  by  the  side  of  pyramids  or  truncated 
cones,  now  in  the  midst  of  circles  or  rectangles  connected 
with  the  structures  we  are  about  to  describe.  At  Pewaukee, 
Wisconsin,  seven  turtles,  two  "  lizards,"  and  four  mounds  of 

'  Mounds  of  the  form  of  birds  have  recently  been  discovered  in  Putnam 
county,  Georgia,  This  is  an  interesting  fact,  for  hitherto  such  mounds  had 
only  been  found  in  the  northern  and  western  states. — "Bird-shaped  mounds 
in  Putnam  county,  Georgia,"  Anthr.  Inst,  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  1879. 


it 


i! 


124 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


I 

m 


III 


; 


If    .4i 


Si 


I  't 


elliptical  form  can  be  made  out  together.  One  of  the  turtles, 
the  largest  yet  discovered,  measures  no  less  than  four  hun- 
dred and  fifty  feet.  A  little  farther  off,  in  Dane  Co.,  we  meet 
with  a  group  of  quadrupeds, — buffaloes  according  to  some 
authorities,  pumas  according  to  others.  Their  length  varies 
from  eighty-two  to  one  hundred  and  fourteen  feet.  In  other 
places  an  observer  of  lively  imagination  can  make  out  elks, 
bears,  wolves,  panthers,  eagles,  wild  geese,  herons,  even  frogs. 
What  is  more  certain  than  their  form,  however,  is,  that  in  the 
vast  western  plains  these  ridges  can  easily  be  seen  from  a 
distance,  though  their  height  seldom  exceeds  two  yards,  and 


Fig.  34. — Mound  supposed  to  represent  a  man. 

often  amounts  only  to  a  few  inches.  We  may  as  well  add 
that  nothing  has  been  found  in  the  numerous  excavations 
made  into  mounds  of  this  description,  and  that  some  archae- 
ologists are  bold  enough  to  doubt  the  very  existence  as 
artificial  structures  of  many  of  those  which  have  been  de- 
scribed. However,  from  among  the  most  celebrated  mounds 
of  this  sort  we  select  a  human  figure  (fig.  34),  in  which  the 
design  may  be  admitted.  It  is  stated  that  a  more  or  less 
ancient  tradition  alleges  that  this  mound  was  erected  in 
honor  of  a  chief  killed  in  battle.     The  little  mound  placed 


THE  MOUND  BUILDERS. 


125 


between  the  legs  was  sacred  to  the  memory  of  his  son,  killed 
fighting  by  the  side  of  his  father.  We  may  also  refer  to  the 
"alligator,"  of  Granviile,  Ohio,  (fig.  35);  the  length  of  the 


Sectu>n    cou/6e   cCo  la.  ntjondaane 


^"W 


Fig.  35. — Curved  section  of  the  mountain,  and  plan  of  the  so-called  alligator 

mound. 


Fig.  36. — Mound  supposed  to  represent  a  mastodon. 

body  is  two  hundred  and  five  feet,  that  of  each  foot  is 
twenty  feet ;  it  is  evidently  not  an  alligator,  for  the  abo- 
rigines were  too  good  observers  to  give  an  alligator  a  round 


MMM 


f  I 


126 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


I      *■' 


l(  ! 


'I 


%  - 


r:  '. 
'  Li  1 

■ 


I 


1  •' 

! 


head.  It  might  have  been  intended  for  an  otter,  or  the 
great  salamander  (inawpoma),  if  really  designed  for  an 
animal  at  all.  Another  has  been  claimed  as  a  mastodon 
(fig.  36),  and  is  situated  a  short  distance  from  the  junction 
of  the  Wisconsin  and  the  Mississippi  rivers.  It  is  considered 
to  be  a  surprising  likeness  by  archzeologtsts  who  are  not 
zoologists. 

Other  enthusiastic  investigators  have  discovered  in  Wiscon- 
sin a  monkey  160  feet  long.  Its  alleged  tail  forms  a  semi- 
circle, which,  uncurled,  would  measure  no  less  than  320  I'^et.' 
In  one  of  those  in  Wisconsin  a  bird  is  represented  just  about 
to  take  flight,  and  under  one  of  its  wings  is  a  little  elliptical 

mound.  Lapham  thinks  he  makes 
out  a  complete  allegory  in  this  : 
The  bird  is  taking  to  the  land  of 
spirits  the  soul  of  him  to  whom 
the  mound  is  sacred,  and  this  soul 
is  represented  by  the  little  mound 
under  the  wing  of  the  bird." 

We  must  not  omit  the  great 
Fig.  37.-Basalt  cup  from  Mexico,  g^ake  set  upon  a  hill  overlook- 
ing Brush  Creek,  Adams  county,  Ohio.  His  coils  are 
about  700  feet  long,  and  he  appears  to  be  swallowing  an  egg, 
which  he  holds  in  his  mouth  and  which  is  represented  by 
a  mound,  the  large  axis  of  which  measures  160  feet.  Proba- 
bly we  have  an  allegory  here  also.  The  serpent  plays  an 
important  part  in  the  mythology  of  the  American  aborig- 
ines. We  find  it  represented  on  their  pottery.  Out  of 
eighteen  Busycon  shells,  now  in  the  Peabody  Museum,, 
which  had  served  as  ornaments  to  these  unknown  people, 
thirteen  are  engraved  with  the  figure  of  a  serpent.  The 
National  Museum  at  Washington  possesses  a  pipe  rep- 
resenting a  human  figure  with  a  serpent  coiled  round 
the  neck ;  and  that  of  Mexico,  a  vase  remarkable  for  the 
elegance  of  its  shape,  the  handle  of  which  is  formed  by  a 
serpent,  (fig.  37). 

'Foster,  "Prehistoric  Races,"  p.  loi. 

»  "  Ant.  of  Wisconsin,"  pi.  XLVI.,  fig.  4. 


'I  I 

1 


.i 


THE  MOUND  BUii^DERS. 


127 


We  have  other  yet  more  curious  instances.  In  several 
places,  though  we  cannot  interpret  its  meaning,  we  meet 
with  the  representation  of  a  serpent  swallowing  the  head  of 
a  turtle.  The  Dominican  monks  of  Mexico  have  preserved 
and  set  up  over  their  entrance  gate  an  antique  bas-relief 
representing  a  serpent  crushing  a  human  victim  in  his  coils. 
At  Chichen  Itza  colossal  serpents  are  carved  on  the  walls  of 
the  palace.  Near  Jalapa,  in  the  province  of  Vera  Cruz,  a 
serpent  fifteen  feet  long  is  distinguishable  sculptured  on  a 
rock,'  and  similar  serpents  are  found  in  the  bas-reliefs  of  the 
temple  of  Huitzilopochtli,  which  dates  from  the  time  of  the 
Aztecs,  as  well  as  on  the  walls  of  the  buildings  of  Cuzco, 
witnessing  to  Peruvian  splendor. 

The  very  name  of  some  races  recalls  the  worship  of  the 
serpent.  The  Nahuas,  who  share  with  the  Mayas  the 
honor  of  having  enjoyed  the  highest  known  civilization 
of  ancient  America,  are  often  called  the  Ciilhnas,  or  the 
men  of  the  race  of  the  serpent  ;  among  the  Mayas  the 
empire  of  Xibalba  was  known  under  the  name  of  the  Do- 
minion of  the  Chanes,  orseipcnts.  May  we  not  trace  to  this 
origin  the  veneration  in  which  certain  Indian  tribes  of  New 
Mexico  still  hold  the  rattlesnake  ?  They  keep  it  in  certain 
caves  of  their  mountains,  the  entrances  to  which  they  hide 
with  jealous  care,  and  it  is  said  they  go  to  worship  it  in 
secret." 

On  the  northern  banks  of  the  Wisconsin  rises  a  strange 
group  (fig.  38),  which  is  a  true  puzzle  to  explorers."  It  in- 
cludes one  figure  180  feet  long,  placed  horizontally,  and  an- 
other 160  feet  long,  arranged  perpendicularly  with  regard  to 
the  former.  The  latter  abuts  upon  a  ridge  eighty  feet  long 
by  six  feet  high  and  twenty-seven  feet  in  diameter.  On  the 
same  line  are  a  series  of  mounds  of  conical  shape  and  gradu- 
ated size,  the  largest  representing  the  same  diameter  as  that 
of  the  above-mentioned  ridge.     The  first  figure  has  been  re- 

'  Rivero,  "  Hist,  de  Jalapa,  Mexico,"  vol.  I.,  p.  7. 

•  Bandelier  :  "  Ruins  of  the  Pueblo  of  Pecos." 

•  Conant :  "  Footprints  of  Vanished  Races,"  p.  32,  etc. 


m 


i 


128 


PRE-IllSTORIC  AMERICA. 


'\ 


If 


garded  as  an  elk,  the  second  as  human.  The  horns  of  the 
elk  are  of  unequal  size,  and  at  its  feet  is  one  of  the  triangu- 
lar mounds  which  have  been  supposed  to  typify  the  extinc- 
tion of  a  race.  This  group  is  explained  as  intended  to  com- 
memorate the  alliance  of  two  tribes,  of  wiiich  the  elk  and 
the  buffalo  were  the  totem  or  the  symbols.  These  once  pow- 
erful tribes,  exhausted  by  long  and  bloody  struggles,  united 
for  the  common  defence,  and  their  alliance  is  indicated  by 
the  touching  of  the  man's  hand  and  the  elk's  foot.  The 
two  mounds  on  the  right  and  the  left  are  regarded  as 
altars,  on  which  sacrifices  were  offered  to  commemorate  the 
union  of  the  two  tribes.    A  layer  of  burnt  earth,  cinders,  and 


CD  O  O  Cce 


Fig.  38. — The  so-called  "  man  and  the  elk  "  mounds  in  Wisconsin. 

charcoal,  fourteen  inches  thick,  seems  to  justify  this  supposi- 
tion. An  old  tree  has  pushed  its  roots  beneath  the  mounds  ; 
and  its  424  concentric  rings  of  growth  form  the  only  guide 
we  have  as  to  the  age  of  this  interesting  group.  Why  one 
tribe  was  represented  by  its  symbol  and  the  olher  not,  is  not 
explained  by  the  above  hypothesis. 

Scveril  mounds  show  a  variety  worthy  of  remark.  Some 
animals  of  dimensions  pretty  nearly  resembling  those  of 
which  we  have  just  spoken,  are  represented,  not  by  ridges 
but  by  ditches.  We  mention  this  fact,  while  we  fully  recog- 
nize that  in  such  a  matter  imagination  is  offered  unlimited 
scope. 

In  other  places  representations  of  inanimate  objects  are 


i 


THE  MOUND  BUILDERS. 


129 


4 


spoken  of,  such  as  a  cross  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Michigan,' 
and  a  Greek  cross  in  Ohio  about  twenty-nine  yards  long, 
with  a  large  hollow  in  the  centre  about  six  yards  deep. 
We  may  also  mention  a  cross  in  the  valley  formed  by  the 
Rock  River.  The  arms  of  this  cross  appear  to  be  equal, 
but  the  plow  has  already  commenced  its  work  of  destruc- 
tion, and  it  is  impossible  to  determine  the  length.  A 
mound  on  the  banks  of  the  Scioto'  represents  a  boat  fifty- 
two  yards  long  by  about  thirty  yards  wide,  and  a  little 
farther  off  the  explorer  makes  out  so'.ie  groups  which  he 
may  call,  according  to  the  fancy  of  the  moment,  clubs  or 
pipes.  We  are  not  disposed  to  attach  importance  to  resem- 
blances probably  quite  accidental. 

Although  incredulous  as  to  certain  interpretations  which 
some  would  have  accepted,  it  is  difificult  to  repress  surprise 
in  contemplating  the  admittedly  genuine  works  accom- 
plished by  these  vanished  people  with  only  the  help  of 
stone  tools,  baskets,  and  persistent  manual  labor.  In 
metals  they  had  at  most  some  copper  implements.  Iron 
and  bronze  appear  to  have  been  practically  unknown  to 
them,  and  in  no  part  of  a  vast  territory  they  occupied  have 
excavations  revealed  the  existence  or  the  use  of  any  metal  but 
native  copper,  with  its  associated  silver,  gold  and  a  few  frag- 
ments of  meteoric  iron.  But  our  astonishment  is  redoubled 
when  we  find  these  men  digging  canals  to  establish  water 
communication,  a  striking  proof  of  a  numerous  population, 
and  a  decided  advance  on  the  nomadic  state,  though,  as  evi- 
denced by  numerous  Asiatic  peoples,  not  necessarily  an  indi- 
cation of  a  high  degree  of  culture.  Lately  traces  of  such 
canals  have  been  made  out  in  Missouri.  Dr.  G.  Swallow, 
State  Geologist  of  Missouri,  calls  the  attention  of  archaeolo- 
gists to  them,  and  describes  one  fifty  feet  wide  by  twelve 
feet  deep.  There  are  others  in  different  places.  All  are  of 
systematic  design,  and,  according  to   that  gentleman,  they 

'  Lapham  :  "Ant.  of  Wisconsin,"  pp.  20  and  39,  pi.  XXXI.,  figs.  2  and  3. 
*  VV.   de  Hass :     "Arch,    of   the   Missis.sippi   Valley,"  Rep.    Am.    Assoc, 
Chicago,  1868. 


' 


m  .■ 


II 


.h  I 


130 


PRE.inSTORIC  AMERrCA. 


are  executed  with  intelligent  reference  to  the  difficulties  of 
the  ground.  Earthquakes  have  in  many  places  destroyed 
the  traces  of  these  canals — the  progicss  of  civilization  is  per- 
petually levelling  their  embankments —but  the  works  can 
still  be  made  out,  and  on  a  line  seventy  miles  long  a  series 
of  canals  can  be  recognized  connecting  the  Mississippi  with 
Big  Lake,  Cushion  and  Collins  lakes.'  These  people  may 
have  navigated  the  canals  in  boats,  which  we  can  confidently 
assert  they  knew  how  to  hollow  out,  with  the  aid  of  fire, 
from  the  trunks  of  trees '  Similar  processes  were  employed 
in  Europe  in  the  early  days  of  navigation.  Recent  discov- 
eries have  suggested  the  existence  of  pile-dwellings  rising 
from  the  Great  Lakes  of  the  north.'  All  over  the  earth 
similar  wants  have  led  to  similar  efforts  of  intelligence  and 
similar  products  of  industry.  This  is  a  fact  of  very  great 
importance.  ^ 

In  closing  this  chapter,  what,  it  may  be  asked,  are  we  to 
believe  was  the  character  of  the  race  to  which  for  the  pur- 
pose of  clearness  we  have  for  the  time  being  applied  the 
term,  "  Mound  Builders  "  ?  The  ans...er  must  be,  they  were 
no  more  nor  less  than  the  immediate  predecessors  in  blood 
and  culture  of  the  Indians  described  by  De  Soto's  chronicler 
and  other  early  explorers,  the  Indians  who  inhabited  the 
region  of  the  mounds  at  the  time  of  their  discovery  by 
civilized  men.  As,  in  the  far  north,  the  Aleuts  up  to  the 
time  of  their  discovery  were,  by  the  testimony  of  the  shell- 
heaps,  as  well  as  their  language,  the  direct  successors  of  the 
early  Eskimo,* — so  in  the  fertile  basin  of  the  Mississippi,  the 
Indians  were  the  builders  or  the  successors  of  the  builders 
of  the  singular  and  varied  structures  just  described.  It  is 
true  that  a  very  different  opinion  has  been  widely  enter- 
tained, chiefly  by  those  who  were  not  aware  of  the  historical 

'Letter  from  M.  Carlton,  quoted  by  Conant :  "Footprints  of  Vanished 
Races,"  p.  78. 

"  Schoolcraft  :  "  Archives  of  Aboriginal  Knowledge,"  vol.  I.,  p.  76. 

'  Am.  Antiquarian,  Jan.,  1881,  p.  141. 

*  "See  Contributions  to  North  American  Ethnology,"  vol.  I.,  1877.  Article. 
2.   "  On  Succession  in  the  Shell-heaps  of  the  Aleutian  Islands." 


THE  MOUND  BUILDERS. 


IJI 


evidence.  Even  Mr.  Squier  who,  in  his  famous  work  on  the 
ancient  monuments  of  the  Mississippi  valley,  makes  no  dis- 
tinction in  these  remains,  but  speaks  of  the  Mound  Builders 
as  an  extinct  race  and  contrasts  their  progress  in  the  arts 
with  the  supposed  low  condition  of  the  modern  Indians,  in 
a  subsequent  publication  felt  compelled  to  modify  his  views 
and  distinguish  between  the  earthworks  of  western  New 
York,  which  he  admits  to  be  of  purely  Indian  origin,  and 
those  found  in  southern  Ohio."  Further  researches  have 
shown  that  no  line  can  be  drawn  between  the  two ;  the  dif- 
ferences are  merely  of  degree.  For  the  most  part  the 
objects  found  in  them,  from  the  rude  knife  to  the  carved  and 
polished  "  gorget,"  might  have  been  taken  from  the  inmost 
recesses  of  a  mound  or  picked  up  on  the  surface  among  the 
debris  of  a  recent  Indian  village,  and  the  most  experienced 
archaeologist  could  not  decide  which  was  their  origin.  Lucien 
Carr "  has  recently  reviewed  the  whole  subject  in  a  manner 
which  cannot  but  carry  conviction  to  the  impartial  archaeolo- 
gist, but  the  conclusions  he  arrives  at  have  the  weight  of 
other  and,  as  all  will  admit,  most  distinguished  authority." 

"  "  Smithsonian  Contr.  to  Knowledge,"  ii.,  p.  83,  1851. 

'  "  Mounds  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,"  "  Memoirs  of  the  Kentucky  Geological 
Survey,"  vol.  II.,  1883. 

'  The  earthworks  ' '  differ  less  in  kind  than  in  degree  from  other  remains 
respecting  which  history  has  not  been  entirely  silent." — Haven.  "  There  is 
nothing  indeed  in  the  magnitude  and  structure  of  our  western  mounds  which  a 
semi-hunter  and  semi-agricultural  population,  like  that  which  may  be  ascribed 
to  the  ancestors  or  Indian  predecessors  of  the  existing  race,  could  not  have  ex- 
ecuted."— Schoolcraft.  "  All  these  earthworks — and  I  am  inclined  to  assert 
the  same  of  the  whole  of  those  in  the  Atlantic  States  and  the  majority  in  the 
Mississippi  Valley — were  the  production,  not  of  some  mythical  tribe  of  high 
civilization  in  remote  antiquity,  but  of  the  identical  nations  found  by  the  whites 
residing  in  these  regions." — Brinton.  "  No  doubt  that  they  were  erected  by 
the  forefathers  of  the  present  Indians." — Gen.  Lewis  Cass.  "Nothing  in 
them  which  may  not  have  been  performed  by  a  savage  people." — Gallatin. 
"  The  old  idea  that  the  mound  builders  were  peoples  distinct  from  and  other 
than  the  Indians  of  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries  and  their  progenitors, 
appears  unfounded  in  fact,  and  fanciful." — C.  C.  Jones.  "  Mound  builders 
were  tribes  of  American  Indians  of  the  same  race  with  the  tribes  now  living." 
— ^Judge  M.  F.  Force.  "  The  progress  of  discovery  seems  constantly  to 
diminish  the  distinction  between  the  ancient  and  modern  races  ;  and  it  may 


w 


I 


i' 


s 


132 


PKE-IIISTOKIC  AMERICA. 


It  is  not  asserted  that  the  mounds  were  built  by  any  par- 
ticular tribe,  or  at  any  particular  period,  nor  that  each  and 
every  tribe  of  the  Mississippi  valley  erected  such  structures, 
nor  that  there  were  not  differences  of  culture  and  pro- 
ficiency in  the  arts  between  different  tribes  of  inoni;d 
builders  as  between  the  modern  Indian  tribes  now  known. 

All  that  can  be  claimed  is  that  there  is  nothing  in  the 
mounds  beyond  the  power  of  such  people  as  inhabited  the 
region  when  discovered  ;  that  those  people  are  known  to 
have  constructed  many  of  the  mounds  now  or  recently  exist- 
ing, and  that  there  is  no  evidence  that  any  other  or  different 
people  had  any  hand  in  the  construction  of  those  mounds 
in  regard  to  which  direct  historical  evidence  is  wanting. 

"  Summing  up  the  results  that  have  been  attained,  it  may 
be  safely  said  that,  so  f  ir  from  there  being  any  a  priori  rea- 
son why  the  red  Indians  could  not  have  erected  these  works, 
the  evidence  shows  conclusively  that  in  New  York  and  the 
Gulf  States  they  did  build  mounds  and  embankments  that 
are  essentially  of  the  same  character  as  those  found  in 
Ohio." 

"  In  view  of  these  results,  and  of  the  additional  fact  that 
these  same  Indians  are  the  only  people,  except  the  whites, 
who,  so  far  as  we  know,  have  ever  held  the  region  over 
which  these  works  are  scattered,  it  is  believed  that  we  are 
fully  justified  in  claiming  that  the  mounds  and  inclosures  of 
Ohio,  like  those  in  New  York  and  the  Gulf  States,  were  the 
work  of  the  red  Indians  of  historic  times,  or  of  their  imme- 
diate ancestors.  To  deny  this  conclusion,  and  to  accept  its 
alternative,  ascribing  these  remains  to  a  mythical  people  of 
a  different  civilization,  is  to  reject  a  simple  and  satisfactory 
explanation  of  a  fact  in  favor  of  one  that  is  far-fetched  and 
incomplete,  and  this  is  neither  science  nor  logic." — (Carr, 
/.  c,  p.  107.) 

not  be  very  wide  of  the  truth  to  assert  that  they  were  the  same  people. " — 
I.APHAM.     See  Carr,  /.  c,  p.  4,  note. 


i 


I 


CHAPTER  IV. 

POTTERY,    WEAPONS,    AND   ORNAMENTr    OF    THE    MOUND 

BUILDERS. 


^arr, 


The  humblest  forms  of  ceramic  art  were  among  the  first 
inventions  of  the  human  race.  Dishes  of  some  sort  are  in- 
dispensable for  holding  the  food  of  man,  and  no  matter  how 
remote  the  age  to  which  we  look  back,  we  find  them  among 
the  relics  t  filing  of  his  presence.  They  were  used  in  re- 
ligious ceremonies  ;  they  played  a  part  in  funereal  honors  in 
countries  differing  greatly  from  each  other,  and  in  accordance 
with  a  sacred  rite  they  were  placed  beside  the  dead.  A 
potter's  college  was  founded  at  Rome  by  Numa;  a  family 
of  potters,  workmen  of  the  king,  is  mentioned  in  the  gene- 
alogy of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  and  the  author  of  Ecclesiastes 
speaks  of  them  seated  near  the  wheel  that  they  turn  with 
their  feet.  Agathocles,  King  of  Sicily,  according  to  Dio- 
dorus  .Siculus,  gave  to  his  friends  vases  of  precious  metals, 
telling  them  th.-xt  they  were  copied  from  earthenware  models 
fashioned  by  himself  when  he  was  a  potter  ;  and  every  one 
has  heard  of  the  curious  pottery  discovered  at  Troy  by  Dr. 
Schliemann.  The  most  beautiful  belonged  to  the  town  of 
Dardanus,  of  which  it  is  related  that  it  was  destroyed  by  his 
grandson  Hercules.'  All  these  sorts  of  pottery,  however, 
show  an  already  considerable  advance  in  ceramic  art,  and  we 
are  doubtless  far  from  any  knowledge  of  the  very  first  essays 
of  this  description  ;  they  would  be  too  coarsely  executed  and 
too  badly  baked  to  have  been  preserved  to  our  day.  In  the 
earliest  days  of  his  existence,  man  must  have  observed  the 
adhesiveness  and  plasticity  of  the  damp  clay  lying  at  his 
feet."     Chance  perhaps  in   the  first  instance  may  have  led 

•  "  Iliad,"  Book  V.,  verse  642. 

'  "  Clay  is  a  material  so  generally  diffused,  and  its  plastic  nature  so  easily  dis- 

133 


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PRE-niSTORIC  AMERICA. 


him  to  knead  it ;  a  ball,  the  plaything  of  the  moment,  flung 
hastily  away,  may  have  been  hardened  by  the  powerful  rays 
of  the  sun.  The  impressions  made  upon  it  resembled  those 
in  the  rock,  where  the  same  man  went  to  draw  the  water  he 
needed.  Facts  such  as  these  could  not  have  escaped  his  ob- 
servation, and  appealed  to  the  love  of  imitation  innate  in 
human  nature.  Fire  was  found  to  dry  his  rude  pots  quicker 
than  the  sun,  and  man  learned  to  turn  it  to  account.  The 
cooking  of  his  food  was  one  of  man's  first  advances,  and  was 
once  considered  as  the  primary  distinction  between  him  and 
an  animal  ;  obsefvation  supplemented  by  reflection  must 
have  led  him  to  encase  in  earth  the  food  or  the  calabashes 
he  submitted  to  the  heat  of  his  fire.  Goguet  relates  that  in 
1503  Captain  Gonneville  visited  some  Indians  who  had 
amongst  them  wooden  dishes,  which  they  covered  with  a 
thick  coating  of  clay  before  putting  them  near  the  fire.' 
Cook  mentions'  dishes  seen  at  Unalashka  "  made  of  a  flat 
stone  with  sides  of  clay  not  unlike  a  standing  pye."  In 
other  places  pots  have  been  met  with  which  appear  to  have 
been  hardened  by  putting  red-hot  coals  in  the  interior." 

The  natives  of  Murray  Island  cook  their  food  in  a  hole  dug 
in  the  earth,  which  they  are  careful  to  line  with  well  kneaded 
clay  before  lighting  the  fire.  The  Indians  of  the  Gulf  of 
Florida  moulded  their  pottery  on  gourds,  and  to  support  the 
large  pots  until  baked  they  covered  them  with  baskets  made 
of  rushes,  creepers,  or  even  of  netting,  the  marks  of  which 
on  the  baked  clay  can  still  be  made  out.'  Some  must  have 
been  moulded  on  or  in  coarse  tissues,  or  wooden  moulds, 
which    were    destroyed    in    the    baking,    though    indelible 

covered,  that  the  art  of  working  it  does  not  exceed  the  intelligence  of  the 
rudest  savage."     Birch:  "  Ancient  Pottery,"  Introduction,  p.  i. 

'"  Mcmoire  touchant  I'etablissement  d'une  mission  chretienne  dansic  troisi- 
^me  monde,  autrement  appele  la  Terre  Australe,"  Paris,  1663,  published  by 
the  Abbe  Paulmier  de  Gonneville,  one  of  the  descendants  of  the  captain. 

""  Voyage  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,"  1784,  vol.  II.,  p.  511. 

•One  of  these  can  be  seen  in  the  Peabody  Museum.  It  is  marked  No.  7,750 
in  the  catalogue. 

*  Rau  :  "Indian  Pottery,"  Smiths.  Contr.,  1866.  Tylor  :  "Early  History 
of  Mankind,"  p.  73. 


tlie 


I 


POTTERY,    WEAPONS,   AND   ORNAMENTS. 


135 


traces  of  them  exist  to  tliis  day.  Many  methods  may  have 
been  employed  in  the  fabrication  of  the  first  pottery; 
probably  all  were  triid  and  led  to  or  perfected  this  useful 
discovery. 

As  already  stated,  fragments  of  pottery  have  been  found 
in  America  in  the  caves  which  were  the  first  dwelling-places 
of  man,  under  the  shell-heaps  which  bear  witness  to  his  long 
sojourn  ;  but  it  is  chiefly  in  the  mounds,  and  above  all  in  the 
sepulchral  mounds,  that  the  most  important  specimens  have 
been  found. 

Funeral  vases  date  from  the  most  remote  antiquity.  The 
belief  in  immortality,  with  which  human  nature  is  so  deeply 
imbued,  is  vividly  revealed.  Man,  however  savage,  however 
degraded  we  may  suppose  him  to  be,  looks  confidently  be- 
yond this  life,  which  for  him  passes  so  rapidly  away.  He 
does  not  admit  that  he  is  to  disappear  for  ever,  lik(  he  grass 
he  treads  beneath  his  feet,  or  the  animals  subject  to  his 
needs  or  his  pleasures.  His  imagination  doubtless  does  not 
soar  beyond  the  enjoyments  of  a  purely  material  existence, 
free  from  work  and  anxiety  ;  but  he  endeavors  to  assure  to 
those  he  has  loved  here  that  existence  in  the  unknown  world 
to  which  death  has  taken  them.  Hence  the  numerous  and 
varied  objects  found  in  tombs,  secret  tokens  left  by  men  of 
every  age  and  every  clime. 

It  is  in  the  valleys  of  the  Missouri  and  its  tributaries  that 
we  meet  with  the  pieces  of  pottery  most  interesting  alike  in 
their  form  and  ornamentation.'  The  country  had  been  in- 
habited by  men  owning  towns,  a  government,  a  religious 
system,  and  artistic  tastes — tribes  more  advanced  in  culture 
than  many  of  their  relatives  the  Indians  with  whom  the 
French,  the  first  explorers  of  the  Mississippi  and  the  Mis- 
souri, had  later  to  contend.  St.  Louis,  one  of  the  towns 
founded  by  the  French,  is  sometimes  called  Mound  City,  on 
account  of  the  number  of  mounds  surrounding  it,  and  which 
long  remained  unnoticed  by  the  rough  laborers  who  were 

'  E.  Evers  :  "  Ancient  Pottery  of  Missouri,"  Saint  Louis  Academy  of  Sciences, 
1880.     Conant :  "  Footprints  of  V.inished  Races,"  Saint  Louis,   1879. 


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PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


the  first  colonists  of  the  country.  Judging  from  the  objects 
they  contain,  these  mounds  are  less  ancient  than  those  of 
Ohio  or  of  Wisconsin.  The  fragments  of  pottery  found  in 
them  are  innumerable.  One  mound  is  mentioned  in  which 
more  than  a  thousand  specimens  have  been  collected.'  The 
burial-places  excavated  at  Sandy  Woods  have  yielded  nearly 
as  many.'  Some  suppose  the  numerous  fragments  found  in 
some  parts  of  Michigan  to  point  to  the  existence  of  actual 
manufiictorics.'  The  collections  of  the  St.  Louis  Academy 
contain  four  thousand  carefully  selected  specimens,  and 
doubtless  a  very  much  greater  number  must  have  been  des- 
troyed and  scattered  before  their  importance  was  suspected. 
In  the  state  of  Vermont,  for  instance,  only  six  pieces  are 
mentioned  as  intact  amongst  all  those  discovered.*  These 
fragments,  which  have  defied  the  wear  and  tear  of  centuries, 
are  the  imperishable  witnesses  of  men,  the  very  memory  of 
whom  has  been  completely  lost  to  those  who  siicceeded 
them. 

Tlie  pottery  manufactun^d  in  America  was  evidently 
very  superior  to  that  produced  in  Europe  during  the  same 
period  of  development.'  It  is  also  probable  that  many  of 
the  numerous  fragments  of  which  wc  were  unable  to  fi.x  the 
date  belong  to  very  remote  epochs.  They  are  rarely  as- 
sociated with  metal  objects,  and  the  only  weapons  of  the 
Mound  Builders  were   hatchets,  knives,  or  arrows  of  stone, 

'  This  number  need  not  surprise  us.  Who  does  not  l^now  the  hill  at  Rome 
formed  entirely  of  fragments  of  the  pottery  of  the  ancient  Romans,  and,  to 
quote  but  one  other  example,  at  Aries  fragments  have  been  found  in  sufficient 
quantities  for  the  embankments  of  the  railway  crossing  the  northern  part  of 
the  Camargue  to  be  exclusively  formed  of  them,  for  a  distance  of  about  one  and 
a  quarter  miles. 

*\V.  P.  Potter;  "Arch.  Remains  in  S.  E.  Missouri,"  .Saint  Louis  Acad,  of 
Sciences,  1880. 

'  Gillman  ;  "Report,  Peabody  Museum,"  vol.  1. 

*G.  II.  Perkins:  "General  Remarks  upon  the  Arch,  of  Vermont,"  Proc. 
Am.  Assoc,  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  St.  Louis,  1878. 

'  Among  none  of  the  Western  nations  of  Europe,  not  even  among  the  .Swiss 
Lake  Dwellers,  whose  civilization  was  in  some  respects  far  advanced,  do  we 
know  of  these  little  figures  representing  either  men  or  animals. 


\ 


POTTERY,    WEAPONS,    AND   ORNAMENTS. 


137 


Troc. 


which  resemble  alike  in  form  and  workmanship  those  of 
Europe,  dating  from  the  period  to  which  archaeologists  have 
given  the  name  of  the  Stone  age. 

The  pottery  of  the  Mound  Builders  was  manufactured  of  a 
clay  of  a  fairly  dark  gray  color,  sometimes  verging  on  blue ; 
to  give  this  clay  more  consistency  the  potter  mixed  it  in 
Mississippi  with  sand  and  fragments  of  shells,  in  Vermont 
with  bits  of  quartz,  mica,  or  feldspar,  and  in  other  places 
with  little  nodules  of  carbonate  of  lime.'  The  thickest  and 
clumsiest  of  the  pieces  were  the  only  ones  in  which  this 
precaution  was  not  taken.  On  the  other  hand  the  finer 
pieces  of  pottery  were  mixed  with  gypsum,  by  which  means 
lighter  shades  of  color  were  obtained.  When  sufificiently 
kneaded  and  shaped  to  the  form  required,  the  workman 
smoothed  the  surface  with  his  hand  and  dried  the  vase, 
probably  first  in  the  su.i  and  later  in  a  fierce  fire,  which  was 
a  very  imperfect  mode  of  baking.  In  their  remarkable  work 
on  the  mounds  of  the  Mississippi  valley,  Squier  and  Davis 
assert  the  existence  of  real  ovens,"  intended  for  baking  pot- 
tery. Other  explorers  sneak  of  similar  ovens  near  Cedar 
City,  which  rises  from  the  ruins  of  an  old  Aztec  town.' 
Nothing  however,  proves  them  to  be  of  very  remote  an- 
tiquity, and  it  is  probable  that  their  construction  indicates  a 
progress  that  time  alone  could  have  brought  about.  Neither 
is  it  impossible  that  the  ancient  Americans  employed  a  pro- 
cess till  quite  recently  in  use  amongst  the  Indians  of  Cali- 
fornia, who  placed  the  pieces  of  pottery  to  be  baked  in  large 
holes  dug  in  the  earth,  and  heated  by  means  of  fires  made  of 
blazing  chips  of  wood.*  Other  methods  too  may  have  been 
adopted ;  but  with  regard  to  them  as  with  those  just  men- 
tioned nothing  positive  can  be  asserted. 

'  VV.  de  Hass  :  "  Arch,  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,"  Proc.  Am.  Assoc,  Chicago, 
186S. 

'  "An.  Mon.  of  the  Mississippi  Valley."  Bancroft  says:  "Pottery  kilns 
were  found  in  the  South  ;  but  that  they  were  the  work  of  the  Mound  Builders 
has  not  been  satisfactorily  proven." — "  The  Native  Races,"  Vol.  IV.,  p.  780. 

'  Remy  and  Brenchley  :  "A  Journey  to  Great  Salt  Lake  City."  London, 
1861. 

*  Schumacher :  "  Report,  Peabody  Museum,"  1S79,  vol.  IL,  p.  521,  et  seq. 


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138 


PRE-IIISTORIC  AMERICA. 


It  was  later  too  that  the  native  races  of  America  employed 
moulds.  This  method  was  certainly  known  to  the  Mexicans 
and  Peruvians,  the  moulds  found  in  ver>'  different  places 
leave  no  doubt  as  to  that  point ;  but  moulding  must  have 
been  preceded  by  a  long  course  of  tentative  efforts.  We 
have  mentioned  gourds,  baskets  of  canes  or  creepers,  coated 
inside  or  outside  with  clay  and  then  subjected  to  heat. 
Such  were  doubtless  the  earliest  attempts  ;  numerous  frag- 
ments that  have  been  collected  bear  marks  of  their  origin, 
and  in  the  dough  there  are  bits  of  charcoal  which  probably 
originated  in  the  vegetable  substances  employed.'  It  would 
be  impossible  to  name  all  the  methods  employed,  but  it  may 
be  imagined  that  they  would  vary  according  to  time  and 
place.  The  pottery  of  Missouri  was  superior  to  that  of 
Ohio,  that  of  Kentucky  or  that  of  Virginia  cannot  compare 
with  that  of  Illinois,  and  that  of  Michigan  is  probably  the 
coarsest  of  all.  If,  which  is  not  certain,  these  pieces  of 
pottery  date  from  the  same  epoch,  the  differences  between 
them  are  explained  by  the  rarity,  perhaps  even  the  total  ab- 
.sence.  of  communication  between  tribes  scattered  over  vast 
stretches  of  country,  and  absorbed  in  the  material  difficul- 
ties of  life. 

The  size  of  the  pots  naturally  varies  according  to  their 
purpose.  Some  hold  a  few  pints,  others  several  quarts. 
Cockburn,  one  of  the  few  travellers  who  during  the  last  cen- 
tury succeeded  in  crossing  the  continent  from  the  Gulf  of 
Honduras  to  the  Great  South  Sea,"  mentions  one  which  held 
ten  gallons,  and  others  yet  larger  may  be  found,  especially 
among  the  Pueblo  people  and  other  tribes  of  New  Mexico. 

The  potter's  wheel  seems  to  have  been  unknown  in  North 

'  Prof.  Swallow  verified  this  fart  in  his  excavations  of  Uig  Mound  (Fig.  31). 
"  Report,  Peabody  Museum,"  vol.  I. 

'"A  Journey  Overland,  from  the  Gulf  of  Honduras  to  the  Great  South 
Sea."  London,  1735.  In  1527  four  of  the  companions  of  Pamfilo  de  Narvaez, 
after  the  failure  of  their  efforts  at  colonization  in  Florida,  started  from  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico  for  the  Pacific.  This  first  transcontinental  expedition  took  nine 
years,  and  was  accomplished  at  the  cost  of  extraordinary  sufferings,  of  which  an 
account  has  been  given  by  Cabefa  de  Vaca,  one  of  the  explorers.  "  Ternaux 
Compans,"  vol.  VII.,  first  scries.      Perkin-; :   Am.  Assoc,  Buffalo,  1876. 


31). 


POTTERY,    n'EAPOXS,    AND   ORNAMENTS. 


139 


as  well  as  in  South  America.  Considering,  however,  the 
finish  and  symmetry  of  certain  specimens  which  have  come 
down  to  us,  it  is  difficult  to  believe  that  the  workmen  had  no 
mechanical  process  by  means  of  which  to  ensure  uniformity 
of  pressure.  Such  was  the  opinion  of  eminent  archaeologists, 
after  an  attentive  examination  of  several  pieces  of  pottery 
found  in  excavations  made  near  New  Madrid.'      Unfortu- 


FlG.  39. — Bottle  of  baked  clay  found  in  a  mound  in  Missouri. 

nately  these  specimens  fell  to  pieces  as  soon  as  they  were  ex- 
posed to  the  air,  so  that  further  examination  is  impossible, 
and  the  problem  remains  unsolved. 

The  great  varieties  of  form  assumed  by  American  pottery 
resemble  stran;j:ely  these  of  the  Old  World,  alike  of  pre-his- 
toric"  and  of  modern  times.''  Everywhere,  we  repeat,  the  same 

'Conant  :  "  Footprints  of  Vanished  Races." 

'■"  The  pieces  of  pottery  found  under  the  mounds  may  be  compared  especially 
with  those  from  the  covered  way  of  West  Kennet,  Wiltshire,  England. 

'In  March,  1882,  a  Japanese  book  containing  a  description  of  the  shell 
mounds  of  Omori,  Japan,  was  presented  to  the  Anthropological  Society. 
Numerous  fragments  of  pottery  were  found  at  Omori,  and  their  resemblance  to 
those  of  the  American  mounds  was  very  striking. 


"  ii| 


140 


PKE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


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needs  have  led  man  to  make  the  same  efforts  of  intelligence 
and  to  produce  the  same  creations  of  industry.  Some  of 
these  vases  are  painted,  the  colors  chiefly  employed  being 
black  and  very  dark  gray.  Red,  yellow,  white,  and  brown 
vases  are,  however,  met  with  ;  these  colors,  being  generally 
added  after  baking,  have  little  stability,  and  in  spite  of  every 
precaution  they  scale  off  or  arc  rubbed  out  very  rapiJly. 
Sometimes  the  ornaments  stand  out  in  different  colors,  al- 
ways shaded  with  great  taste,  as  proved  by  numerous  ex- 


FiG.  40. — jar  found  in  a  Oliio  mound. 

amplcs  which  might  be  given.'  One  little  vase  about  eight 
inches  high  is  decorated  with  black  and  red  lines  on  the  neck 
and  red  and  white  on  the  body.  Another  has  six  concentric 
circles  of  red  and  white  alternately,  and  in  the  centre  of 
each  circle  a  St.  Andrew's  cross  in  white.  One  bottle  has 
rays  of  equal  size  in  brown,  white,  and  bright  red  (fig.  39). 
A  vase  from  Ohio  merits  representation  (fig.  40),  on  account 

'  Those  who  are  especially  intciesled  in  this  question  may  consult  a  recent 
work,  Dr.  Ed.  Evcrs'  "  Contributions  to  the  Archccology  of  Missouri,"  part  I., 
Pottery.     Salem,  Massachusetts,  1880.     We  have  borrowed  largely  from  it. 


I   5 


\  % 


POTTERY,    IVEAPONS,    AND    ORNAMEiVTS. 


141 


of  its  complicated  ornamentation,  in  which  some  think  they 
can  make  out  a  bird's  head.  It  is  the  same  with  a  vase  found 
in  Arkansas  and  decorated  with  finely  executed  representa- 
tions of  bones  of  the  dead  (fig.  41).'  Some  pieces  of  pottery 
recently  found  and  deposited  in  the  St.  Louis  museum  are 
said  to  recall,  in  the  figures  with  which  they  are  decorated, 
Egyptian  or  Etruscan  art.  These  figures  have  not  yet  been 
published,  so  that  we  must  content  ourselves  with  mention- 


FiG.  41, — Vases  from  the  tumuli  of  Arkansas. 

ing  the  fact,  reserving  our  opinion  until  further  information 
is  obtained.  In  the  course  of  this  work  we  shall  have 
occasion  to  refer  to  other  no  less  curious  and  important 
resemblances. 

We  do  not  know  what  was  the  substance  employed  in 
coloring  potterj',  but  some  red  ochre  has  been  found  in  a 

'  We  reproduce  this  curious  vase,  but  we  believe  it  to  date  from  a  less  ancient 
period.  The  same  style  of  decoration  is,  however,  met  with  amongst  the 
aborigines  of  America,  and  Bancroft  speaks  of  a  stone  seen  at  Nohpat,  Yucatan, 
on  which  are  engraved  representations  of  human  skulls  and  cross-bones. 


II I 


142 


PRE-HISTOKIC   AMERICA. 


! 


vase,  which  may  have  been  used  for  this  purpose.  Some  of 
the  colors  seem  to  have  been  fixed  by  means  of  a  varnish,  of 
which  traces  are  supposed  to  have  been  found.'  This  pro- 
cess was  certainly  known  to  the  Mexicans  and  the  Peruvians, 
but  it  was  more  rarely  employed  by  the  Mound  Builders. 
We  arc  ignorant  as  to  what  this  glaze  was  made  of.  One 
thing  only  is  certain,  that  the  metallic  varnish  used  in  mod- 
ern jootteries,  and  that  of  more  -complicated  composition 
employed  for  porcelain,  were  introduced  by  the  Spaniards, 
and  no  discovery  thus  far  made  in  America  permits  us  to 
attribute  a  knowledge  of  it  to  the  ancient  inhabitants. 
Some  Americans  mention  an  earthenware  vase  covered  with 


Fig.  42. — Vase  found  under  a  sepulchral  mound  in  Missouri. 

a  siliceous  varnish,  found  in  a  mound  of  Florida;  but  the 
circumstances  of  the  discovery  leave  no  doubt  as  to  the 
mound  having  been  disturbed.  In  Europe  enamelled 
ceramic  work  was  known  in  the  most  remote  antiquity,  and 
in  Egypt  we  find  vases,  statuettes,  and  amulets  of  glazed 
porcelain  dating  from  the  earliest  dynasties.  ■"  » 

The  ornamentation  of  these  vases,  generally  very  simple, 
usually  consists  of  several  rows  of  dots,  such  as  can  be  seen 

'  Bancroft  (vol.  IV.,  p.  714)  says  :  "  To  this  day  some  of  it  retains  a  very 
perfect  glaze."  Caspar  CastaRo  de  Sosa  ("Mem.  del  Descubrimiento,  del 
Reino  de  Leon,"  1590)  speaking  of  the  pottery  of  the  pueblos  of  New  Mexico, 
says  :  "  Tienen  mucha  loza  de  los  colorados  y  pintadas  y  negras,  platos,  caxe- 
tes  saleros,  almoficos,  xicaras,  muy  galanas  alguna  de  la  loza  esta  vidriada." 


omc  oC 
nish,  of 
his  pro- 
uvians, 
uildcrs. 
f.     One 
n  mod- 
position 
aniards, 
ts  us  to 
ibitants. 
red  with 


ri. 

but  the 
to  the 
namellcd 
uity,  and 
)f  glazed 

y  simple, 
be  seen 

tains  a  very 
miento,  del 
ew  Mexico, 
platos,  caxe- 
idriada." 


POTTERY,    WEAPONS,   AND    ORNAMENTS. 


14^ 


on  the  earliest  pottery  uf  Europe,  and  executed,  as  those 
were,  either  with  the  potter's  nail,  with  the  end  of  a  pointed 
instrument,  a  bit  of  wood  or  a  shell,  which  give  a  distinct 
mark  without  a  jagged  edge.  In  other  examples  we  have 
more  complicated  combinations,  lines,  circles,  ellipses,  cres- 
cents, wolf's  teeth,  zig-zags  tastily  arranged,  so  as  to  obtain 
the  happiest  effects  (fig.  4  ).  Sometimes  on  the  neck  or  body 
of  the  vase  was  the  figure  of  a  rope  or  a  creeper.  Gillman 
mentions  several  pieces  of  pottery  decorated  in  this  manner, 
notably  those  found  at    Fort  Wayne.'     Some   vases   have 


Fig.   43.— Vase   fontnl    in  the  excavations  in   Missouri,  with  ornaments  in 
relief  painted  in  red  of  various  oliades. 

denticulated  or  fringed  edges;  in  others  the  ornaments  are 
in  relief  (fig.  43).  These  relievos  were  obtained  either  by 
moulding  the  clay  itself  or  by  the  application  of  moulds  be- 
fore baking.  Numbers  of  these  vases  had  handles,  and  these 
handles  often  represented  birds,  mammals,  such  as  the  wolf, 
the  fox,  and  further  south  the  llama,  and  even  human  figures. 
It  would  take  a  long  tiine  to  describe  all  the  varieties;    as  it 

'  ''  Proc.  Am.  Assoc,"  BufTalo,  1876.  This  mode  of  ornamentation  was  fre- 
quendy  employed  in  Maine,  Massachusetts,  Missouri,  Illinois,  Ohio,  Tennessee, 
and  Florida.     "  Report,  Peabody  Museum,"  1872. 


144 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


is  evident  that  the  potters  were  always  at  work,  striving  to 
satisfy  their  artistic  tastes.  They  appear,  however,  to  have 
been  held  in  small  esteem  in  Central  America,  if  we  are  to 
accept  the  words  of  the  Popol  Vuh' :  "  You  will  no  longer 
be  fit  for  any  thing  but  to  make  earthenware  things,  such  as 
pie-dishes  or  saucepans,  or  to  cultivate  maize ;  and  the 
beasts  that  live  in  the  shrubbery  will  be  your  only  portion." 
Any  description  of  this  pottery  is  difficult,  if  not  impossi- 
ble. It  is  as  if  one  attempted  to  describe  all  the  things  now 
to  be  found  in  the  shop  of  a  famous  dealer  in  crockery.    We 


Fig.  44. — lioltle  or  vase,  with  a  neck  of  reniarkabl';  delicacy  ;  New  Madrid, 
Missouri  ;  SA  inches  liigh. 

will  endeavor  to   class  the  vases  found  under  the  mounds, 
according  to  the  shape  of  the  specimens  and  the  purpose  for 

'The  Popol  Vuh,  the  name  of  which  maybe  translated  "  Collection  of 
Leaves,"  is  written  in  the  Qquichc  language,  and  was  discovered  in  the  second 
half  of  the  i6th  century,  by  a  Dominican  monk  in  a  village  of  Guatemala.  It 
contains  several  details  strangely  resembling  those  of  Genesis,  and  some  have 
seen  in  them  an  adaptation,  by  a  pious  fraud,  of  Indian  mythologies  to 
the  dogmas  of  Christianity.  Such  was  not  the  opinion  of  Brother  Ximenes, 
who  was  the  first  to  reproduce  the  Popol  Vuh,  and  did  not  hesitate  to  call 
it  the  work  of  the  Devil.  It  was  republished  at  Vienna  in  1857  by  Dr.  C. 
Scherzer,  and  in  jS6i  the  Abbe  Brasseur  de  Bourbourg,  who  characterized 
it  as  a  sacred  book,  issued  it  again.  The  original  text  is  not  extant ;  it  was 
evidently  written  or  corrected  after  the  .Spanish  conquest,  for  one  of  the 
Indian  chiefs  is  mentioned  by  his  Spanish  name.  In  spite,  therefore,  of  M. 
Brasseur  de  Bourbourg's  opinion,  we  can  place  but  a  very  limited  reliance  on 
this  book. 


'  I. 


POT  TEA'];    IVEAPONS,   AND   ORNAMENTS. 


'45 


^clion  of 
second 
(lala.     It 
Ime  have 
hogies  to 
(.imenes, 
to  call 
ly  Dr.  C. 
lacterized 
it  was 
of    the 
k  of  M. 
liance  on 


which  they  seem  to  have  been  intended  ;  we  shall  then  have 
certain  data  to  go  upon. 

Perhaps  more  vases  with  necks  have  been  found  than  any 
other  kind.  They  were  probably  used  to  hold  liquids;  most 
of  them  arc  black  and  carefully  moulded ;  they  recall  the 
vases  known  to  travellers  as  "  monkeys,"  still  used  by  the 
Spaniards  and  the  inhabitants  of  South  America,  to  keep 
their  drinking-water  cool  (figs.  39,  44,  and  46).  The  porosity 
■of  the  clay  leads  to  evaporation,  hence  rapid  cooling.     Some 


Fig.  45. — Vase  found  in  a  child's  grave  in  Tennessee. 

vessels  have  a  swelling  at  the  base  ;  others  are  ovoid  and  are 
pierced  with  lateral  holes  through  which  were  passed  cords 
to  hang  the  vases  up  by.  We  give  a  representation  of  a 
vase  with  three  feet  (fig.  45),  discovered  beneath  a  mound  in 
Tennessee  which  had  served  as  the  grave  of  a  child.  It 
is  black  and  was  merely  baked  in  the  sun ;  the  feet  are 
hollow  and  connected  with  the  body  of  the  vase.'     Others 

'  Putnam  ;   "  Report,  Peabody  Museum,"  1878,  vol.  II.  Dr.  Ilabel  ("  Smith. 


V 


14^ 


/'A'  /■.  .///.V  TOKIC  A  M ERIC  A . 


H 


I 


have  been  found  provided  with  a  stopper,  also  of  earthen- 
ware ;  one  of  them  still  ccntaincd  the  traces  of  a  red 
liquid    that    could    not  be  analyzed.'      The   ornamentation, 


Fig.  46. — Vase  with  spiral  grooving  in  the  Museum  of  the  Academy  of 
Sciences,  St.  Louis. 


Fig.  47. — Vase  found  in  a  grave  in  Missouri. 


Cent.,"  vol.  XXII.),  speaks  of  similar  vases  near  San  Salvador,  and  in  Nicara- 
gua.    The  feet  enclose  little  clay  balls.     Bancroft  (vol.  IV.,  p.  19),  also  men- 
tions some  found  under  the  huacas  of  Chiriqui. 
'  Conant :     "  Footprints  of  Vanished  Races." 


POTTER  W    WE  A  TONS,   AND   ORNAMENTS. 


H7 


n- 
ed 

on, 


is  very  varied  and  resembles  that  we  have  before  described. 
The  St.  Louis  museum  possesses  amongst  other  specimens  a 
bottle  (fig.  46),  in  which  wc  notice  a  series  of  swellings  and 
depressions,  forming  a  regular  spiral.  Although  the  form  is 
.still  graceful  the  vases  used  for  cooking  purposes  are  notice- 
able for  the  coarseness  of  their  execution  and  ornamentation 
(figs.  42,  47,  48,  and  49).      They  generally  have   a    large 


Fig.  48.— Vase  with  handles  from  a  sepulchral  mound  in  Tennessee. 


len- 


Fig.  49. — Vessel  with  four  handles,  six  inches  high  by  al)out  eight  in  diameter. 

opening  sometimes  provided  with  a  cover  to  hasten  boiling. 
Nearly  all  have  one  or  more  handles,  by  means  of  which  they 
can  be  more  easily  moved.  One  is  mentioned  with  a  long 
handle  like  those  of  our  saucepans  (fig.  50) ;  others  have  the 
edges  pinched  out  so  as  to  form  a  spout  (fig.  51).  Several 
of  these  vessels  bear  marks  of  long  usage,  and  retain  traces 
of  the  fire  on  which  they  had  been  placed. 


148 


PNE.IIIS  TOKH  •  A  Ml:  AJCA . 


I 


I 


In  excavations  \vc  also  often  meet  with  pieces  of  black  earth- 
enware, the  body  of  which  is  elliptical,  of  careful  execution, 
and  having  a  handle  on  one  side  often  representing  a  bird, 
and  on  the  other  a  brim  or  knob  by  which  they  can  the  more 


Fig,  50. — lilack  cooking  pot  of  toarso  cxlluudu,  haiiul  beneath  a  mound  in 

Missouri. 


F'li-  51- — Vessel  with  a  spout.     Missouri. 

easily  be  held  (fig.  52).  Some  are  almost  completely  closed, 
and  have  but  one  orifice,  large  or  small ;  others  contain 
some  little  pellets  of  clay,  intended  to  make  a  rattling  noise. 


irth- 
;ion, 
Dird, 
iiore 


lund  in 


POTIEKY,    W'EAl'ONS,    AM)  ORNAMENTS, 


149 


These  vessels  do  not  appear  ever  to  have  been  subjected  to 
tlic  heat  of  an  oven  ;  hence  the  hypothesis  tliat  they  may 
liave  been  used  as  lamps,  and  their  comparison  with  Etruscan 
or  Roman  lamps.  This  would  certainly  be  an  interesting 
fact,  but  it  appears  to  us  most  improbable  ;  for  the  vases  of 
this  kind  found  as  yet  show  no  traces  either  of  oil  or  of  any 
fatty  matter  used  for  lighting  purposes. 


Fig.  52. — Vessel  found  in  Missouri.     (Half  natural  size.) 


|osed, 
itain 
lioise. 


F'B    53- — Basin,  with  a  rough  attempt  at  ornamentation.     (Diameter,  nine 

inches  ;  height,  eight.) 

Basins,  generally  pretty  rare,  are  the  coarsest  in  execution 
A  all  the  pottery  preserved  in  the  St.  Louis  museum  ;  from 
which,  without  any  good  foundation,  it  has  been  decided 
that  they  are  of  the  greatest  antiquity.     We  give  illustra- 
tions of  twi    of  these  basins  (figs.   53   and    54),  of  different 


■»♦ 


ii: 


V' 


I- 


11 


I 


150 


PRE-HISTORJC  AMERICA. 


forms,  from  which  it  is  easy  to  judge  of  their  use  and  the 
mode  of  their  construction.  They  are  of  black  earthen- 
ware, and  one  of  them  shows  a  rough  attempt  at  ornamenta- 
tion.' 

Cups,  which  doubtless  served  as  drinking-vessels,  are 
small,  round  or  oval,  and  always  provided  with  a  handle, 
often  representing  the  head  of  a  man  or  of  an  animal.     We 


rig.  54. — Basin  found  in  Missouri  (one  third  natural  size),  in  black  sun-dried 
earthenware,  of  a  somewhat  rare  form. 


Fig-  55. — Drinking-vessel  with  the  head  of  an  owl. 

shall  {.peak  further  on  of  these  imitations  of  animate  ob- 
jects, but  will  content  ourselves  now  with  mentioning  two 
of  these  cups,  both  from  nounds  near  New  Madrid  ;  the 
handle  of  the  first  (fig.  55)  is  the  hefi  1  of  an  owl,  which  is  so 
like  chose  found  at  Santorin  or  at  Troy,  that  they  might  be 
mistaken  the  one  for  the  other ;  the  second  (fig.  56)  is  of 

'  A  basin  exactly  similar  has  been  found  in  the  pre-historic  caiiio  of  Catenoy, 
Oise,  France. 


\ 


the 
len- 
nta- 

are 

idle, 

We 


n-dried 


ob- 

two 

the 

is  so 

it  be 

is  of 

fttenoy. 


i 


POTTERY,    WEAPONS,   AND  ORNAMENTS. 


151 


very  fine  execution,  and  the  handle  represents  the  head  of 
an  animal. 

We  have  already  stated  how  very  numerous  funeral  vases 
are.  In  certain  sepulchral  mounds  of  Missouri,  as  many  as 
eight  hundred  or  a  thousand  specimens  have  been  found. 
It  is  easy  to  recognize  that  they  had  been  used  in  accordance 
with  some  rite  consecrated  by  usage  or  superstition,  and  the 
form  varies  according  to  whether  the  vase  was  placed  near 
the  head,  the  feet,  or  the  pelvis  of  the  skeleton.  This  posi- 
tion of  the  vases  has  been  noted  especially  at  Sandy  Woods 
settlement.'  In  Tennessee,  the  vases  were  gen  :rally  placed 
at  the  head  of  the  body ;  in  Mississippi,  many  contained 
food  prepared  for  the  deceased. 


Fig.  56. — Drinking-vessel  with  the  head  of  an  animal. 

It  is  the  same  in  other  regions  where  the  food-vessels — such 
is  the  characteristic  name  given  to  them — are  filled  with  the 
shells  of  mollusca,  chiefly  mussels,  or  with  carbonized  fruits, 
amongst  which  some  wild  grapes  are  supposed  to  have  been 
recognized.  These  were  doubtless  provisions  for  the  great 
journey.  In  other  graves  have  been  collected  now  a  shell, 
now  a  fragment  of  a  bone,  now  a  little  vase  of  ovoid  form, 
simple  amulets  intended  to  protect  the  deceased.  Lastly, 
some  urns,  which  must  have  contained  the  ashes  of  the  de- 
parted after  cremation.  One  of  those  found  in  excavations 
in  Utah  shows  the  form  of  most  frequent  occurrence  (fig. 
105.) 

The  number  of  pipes  found  in  mounds  is  very  consider- 

'  W.  p.  Potter:  "Arch.  Remains  in  S.  E.  Missouri,"  St.  Louis  Acad,  of 
Sciences,  1880. 


152 


P RE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


able.  We  give  illustrations  of  two :  one  of  them,  found  in 
a  sepulchral  chamber  in  Tennessee,  is  so  like  those  now  in 
use  that  they  might  be  taken  for  each  other  (fig.  57) ;  the 
other,  a  rough  imitation  of  the  human  figure,  comes  from  a 
mound  in  Missouri  (hg.  58). 


I'"iG.  57. — Pipe  from  a  sepulchral  chamber  in  Tennessee. 


Fig.  58. — Earthenware  pipe  from  Missouri. 

Dr.  Habel  mentions,   from  near  San  Salvador,   in  Central 
America,'  two  pipes  about  four  inches  high,  with  about  the 

'  "  Smithsonian  Contributions,"  vol.  XXII.  The  same  excavations  have 
yielded  a  considerable  number  of  pieces  of  pottery,  amongst  which  is  an  imita- 
tion of  an  old  man's  iiead  of  fairly  remarkable  character. 


J* 


—A -^ * 


POTTERY,    WEAPONS,   AND  ORNAMENTS. 


153 


;S 


same  diameter,  covered  with  red  and  white  figures.  A  hole 
had  been  made  for  the  introduction  of  the  stem.  This  is  a 
fact  of  rare  occurrence  in  these  regions,  where  the  use  of 
tobacco  was  less  widespread  than  among  the  Mound 
Builders.' 

Some  pieces  of  pottery  represent  fruits  which,  like  pump- 
kins, figs,  or  pears,  are  of  rounded  form.  The  neck  of  a 
bottle  was  often  superposed  upon  such  a  model.     The  imi- 


FiG,  59. — Red  vase  with  neck  and  a  snake  coiled  about  the  body,  found  in 
excavations  in  Missouri. 

tation  is  generally  exact,  and  the  arti  *;  may  have  obtained 
it  cither  by  copying  or  by  moulding  tlK  iruit  before  him. 

These  are  not  the  only  imitations  which  are  hidden  away 
in  graves,  the  mounds  of  Missouri  and  Mississippi  have 
yielded  numerous  representations,  now  of  men,  now  of 
animals.  It  is  noticeable  that  such  arc  extremely  rare  in 
the  New  England  States. 

We  may  mention  among  such  forms,  snakes  (fig.  59),  bears 

'  Oviedo  was  the  first  Spanish  writer  to  mention  the  use  of  tobacco.  Hi-^ 
book,   "  Natural  Historia  de  las  Indias,"  was  printed  at  Toledo  in  1529. 


154 


PRE-IIIS  TORIC  A  M ERICA . 


(fig.  60?),  pigs  (fig.  61),  fish  (fig.  62),  frogs,  turtles  very  per- 
fectly copied,  and  birds,  including  the  common  brown  owl, 
the  long-cared  owl  and  the  duck.  Ducks  especially  were 
carefully  studied,  and  different  species  are  quite  recognizable. 
Surely  a  very  long  time  must  have  been  required  for  the  art 
to  attain  such  perfection  ;  generations  of  artists  must  have 
been  needed  for  the  creation  of  the  art  itself. 

We  must  not  omit  to  mention  certain  figures  of  animals 
often  found  in  the  mounds.  The  head  resembles  that  of  our 
domestic  pig ;   but  this  animal  appears   to  have  been   un- 


Fig.  Oo. — Painted  vase  foL;nd  in  a  sepulchral  mound  in  Tennessee. 

known  before  the  Spanish  conquest.'  The  species  most 
nearly  resembling  it  is  the  peccary  {^Dicotylcs,  Cuvier),  of  the 
hog  family,  which  has  no  tail ;  whilst  the  creature  under 
notice  always  has  one,  and  this  tail  is  often  turned  up. 
Other  authorities  think  the  figure  represents  the  hippopota- 

'Garcilasso  de  la  Vega  ("  los  Commeniarios  reales  que  tratan  de  I'Origen  de  los 
Yncas,  Reyes  que  fueron  <lcl  Peru,"  Lisbon,  1609),  says  that  the  ancient  Peru- 
-viuns  had  pigs  in  their  mountains,  greatly  resembling  those  of  Europe. 


POTTERY,    WEAPONS,   AND  ORNAMENTS. 


155 


mus,  but  this  pachyderm  has  never,  so  far  as  we  know,  lived 
in  the  New  World.  The  object  intended  is  very  possibly  the 
opossum.  The  size  of  these  vases  varies  greatly.  Some  are 
very  small,  of  yellow  earthenware,  and  covered  with  zigzag 
designs  in  various  colors,  among  which  red  and  white  pre- 
dominate.    Others,  on  the  contrary,  those  found  in  the  State 


Fig.  61. — Vase  with  handles,  representing  the  head  of  a  pig. 


Fig.  62. — Vase  of  a  clear  yellow  color,  baked  willi  fire.     Missouri. 

of  Vermont  for  instance,  are  capable  of  holding  over  six  gal- 
lons. The  larger  ones  often  have  human  faces  joined  to  the 
hinder  parts  of  animals.  -The  animals  thus  represented  are 
not,  however,  as  has  been  supposed,  so  much  alike  that  they 
can  be  taken  to  represent  a  single  characteristic  form. 


156 


P/iE-l/IS  TOKIC  A  M ERICA . 


Neither  are  representations  of  man  wanting.  Some,  exe- 
cuted with  talent,  are  true  portraits,  and  each  one,  whatever 
may  be  the  form  of  the  vase  it  is  intended  to  decorate,  presents 
a  very  marked  individual  character  (figs.  63,  64,  and  65). 


Fig.   63. — Drinking-vase,  over  4J  inches   high  by  9  inches  at    its   greatest 

iliameter. 


Fig.  64.— Water-bottle,  8J  inches  high,  found  under  a  mound  near  Belmont, 

Missouri. 

The  St.  Louis  museum  possesses  a  bottle,  the  neck  of  which 
has  been  broken,  bearing  four  medallions  representing  human 
figures  incrusted   in  the  clay  before  baking.     A  vase  found 


POTTERY,    U'EAPOXS,    AND   OKA'AMEJVTS. 


•57 


in  the  very  fruitful  excavations  at  New  Madrid  also  deserves 
mention.     The  figures,  it  is  true,  are  designed  without  art, 


Fig.  65. — Black  pottery  vase.     Missouri. 

but  they  are  valuable  as  showing  the  kind  of  garments  worn 
by  the  Mound  Builders.     The  most  important  represents  a 


Fig.  66.— Figure  in  black  pottery  found  in   Missouri  ;  one  third  natural  size. 

flowing  robe,  or,  to  be  more  exact,  a  blouse  somewhat  like 
those  worn  by  the  French,  drawn  in  at  the  waist  and  reach- 


■■■■■ 


158 


PRE-UISTORIC  AMERICA. 


ing  to  the  knees.  Wc  may  also  notice  another  representing 
a  man  lying  on  his  back,  with  the  arms  and  legs  roughly 
imitated.  This  vase  was  emptied  through  a  neck  springing 
from  the  navel  of  the  figure.  In  a  grave  of  Missouri  pieces 
of  pottery  have  been  collected  ornamented  with  designs 
representing  heads,  busts,  and  even  the  entire  bodies  of 
women. 


Fig.  67. — Vase  found  in  Missouri.     A  second  face  is  joined  to  the  back  of  the 
first,  and  the  opening  is  on  one  side  ;  one  fourth  natural  size. 

Side  by  side  with  these  pieces  of  pottery  thousands  of 
others  are  found  with  nothing  human  about  them.  There 
are  also  caricatures.'  That  most  frequently  met  with  repre- 
sents a  crouching  woman,  with  hangmg  breasts,  and  arms 
resting  on  the  knees.  The  constant  repetition  of  this  figure 
has  led  to  the  supposition  that  it  was  an  idol — one  of  the 
malevolent  goddesses  whose  anger  had  to  be  averted.  But 
the  want  of  foundation  for  this  conclusion  appears  in  the 
fact  that  the  vases  always  have  an  opening  in  the  back  of  the 

'Such  human  caricatures  are  met  with  in  the  most  divers  localities  ;  among 
other  places  the  island  of  Ometepec,  Lake  Nicaragua,  is  noted  for  them.  (Figs. 
66,  67,  and  68.) 


POTTERY,    WEAPONS,   AND  ORNAMENTS. 


159 


head,  clearly  indicating  that  they  were  used  as  bottles.  We 
may  remark  that  so  far  but  few  indecent  objects  have  been 
found,  though  they  were  numerous  among  the  ancient  peo- 
ples of  Europe  ;  reproductions  of  the  sexual  organs  have 
rarely  come  to  light,'  which  fact  is  an  important  testimony 
to  the  morality  of  these  primitive  people. 

The  disposition  of  the  Mound  Builders  for  copying  forms 
which  they  saw  about  them  is  characteristic  of  many  of  the 
American  races.  So  in  a  less  degree  is  the  superiority  of 
their   pottery.      If    indeed   the   American    mound   pottery 


?'IG.  68. — Bottle  represeiiiing  a  woman. 

be  compared  with  that  from  the  middens  of  the  Lake  Dwel- 
lers of  Switzerland,  who  are  supposed  to  have  reached  a 
similar  stage  of  civilization,  one  is  astonished  at  the  in- 
feriority of  the  latter.       Lately  excavations  have  been  made 

'We  may  instance  a  few  examples:  "In  altre  provincie,"  said  one  of  the 
companions  of  Cortez,  "  e  paiticularemente  in  quella  di  Panuco,  adoravano  il 
membro  che  portano  gli  huomini  fra  lo  gambe." — "  Relazione  d'akunecose 
della  Nueva  Spagna."  Dr.  Jones  ("  Smith.  Cont.,"vol.  XXII.)  mentions  a 
phallic  pipe  and  Heywood  a  phallus  found  near  Chillicothe  ("Natural  and 
Aboriginal  Hist,  of  Tennessee,"  p.  115).  Others  are  also  known  which  came 
from  Alameda  county,  California.  In  other  places,  in  Smith  county,  and  in 
the  island  of  Zapatero,  Costa  Rica,  for  instance,  idols  are  spoken  of  with  the 
membrum  virile  in  erectione.  Stephens  tells  of  ornaments  in  several  temples  of 
Yucatan  representing  membra  conjtincta  in  eoitu.  Pieces  of  Peruvian  pottery 
of  the  same  kind  are  met  with,  but  they  are  exceptions.  Father  Kircher,  how- 
ever, and  Bancroft  following  him,  believe  in  the  former  existtrice  in  America 
of  a  Phallic  cultus,  such  as  undoubtedly  existed  in  the  Old  World. 


i6o 


PRE-IIIS  TOKIC  A  MEKICA . 


in  some  tumuli  on  tlic  practising  {ground  of  the  school  of 
artillery  at  Tarbes,  on  the  borders  of  the  departments  of  des 
Hautes  et  Basses  Pyrenees,  where  vases  were  found  dating 
probably  from  Gallo-Roman  times  ;  they  arc  inferior  alike  in 
material,  execution,  and  ornamentation  to  those  of  the 
American  races.  It  is  the  same  with  the  vases  found  by 
Chantre  near  Samthravo.'  We  content  ourselves  with 
these  facts,  though  examples  might  be  multiplied.  It  is 
probable  that  the  presence  of  a  good  material  for  pottery 
had  more  or  less  to  do  with  progress  in  ceramic  art,  and  that 
the  absence  of  suitable  clays  accounts  in  part  for  the  wretched 
pottery  of  northeastern  American  races  as  it  certainly  does 
in  the  extreme  northwest  of  the  continent. 

It  may  be  also  remarked  that  the  considerable  differences  in 
execution  between  pieces  of  potters'  found  in  a  single  undis- 
turbed mound  cannot  be  held  to  decide  that  they  do 
not  date  from  the  same  period,  or  that  the  differences 
observed  are  due  to  progress  in  the  manufacture  and  the 
natural  result  of  the  development  of  the  nesthetic  feeling  of 
the  people.  Probably,  we  have  to  deal  with  the  products  of 
the  work  of  more  or  less  skilled  or  more  or  less  intelligent 
artisans,  with  work  intended  for  more  or  for  less  important 
uses,  or,  and  this  is  a  yet  simpler  explanation,  with  the  pot- 
tery of  the  poor  and  of  the  rich.  This  last  is  a  fact  scarcely 
worth  discussing,  for  it  is  one  belonging  to  all  times  and 
every  people. 

The  earl5'  inhabitants  of  America  must  have  been  sturdy 
smokers,"  judging  from  the  number  of  pipes  found  in  mound 
excavations.  Earthenware  pipes  have  been  already  men- 
tioned ;  others  were  carved  of  slate,  soapstone'  (fig.  69),  and 

'  Kevtie  (/'  Anlhrop.,  April,  l88l. 

'  According  to  Bancroft  (vol.  II.,  p.  288)  the  Americans,  at  the  time  of  the 
Spanish  conquest,  smoked  cigarettes  and  took  snuff.  Ameghino  (vol.  I.,  p.  354) 
in  his  turn  says:  "  Es  del  dominio  publico,  que  el  tabaco,  es  indigene  de 
America." 

'  '■  A  steatite  quarry  has  been  examined  near  Washington,  in  which  the  stone 
had  been  quarried  with  quartzite  pickaxes  ;  dishes  and  cups,  of  which  there 
were  many  fragments,  were  made  of  this  stone.     This  quarry  was  probably  pre- 


POTTERY,    WEAPONS,  AND  ORNAMENTS. 


161 


marble,  more  frequently  still  out  of  a  very  hard  and  resistant 
red  or  brown  porphyry.  Some  arc  mere  bowls  quite  prim- 
itive ill  form;  others  represent  various  animals,  such  as  the 
beaver,  the  otter,  deer,  bears,  the  panther,  the  wildcat  (fig. 
70),.  the  mud-turtle,  the  raccoon,  squirrels,  toads  and  frogs. 
Birds  are  perhaps  still  more   numerous.     Amongst  them  we 


KlG.  6g. — Soapstone  pipe. 

•may  mention  herons,  hawks,  the  paroquet,  woodpecker, 
grouse,  and  the  bittern.  On  a  soapstone  pipe  from  Ken- 
tucky an  armadillo  is  supposed  to  have  been  recognized  ;  and 
quite  recently  in  Iowa  a  pipe  has  been  found  made  of  rather 
soft  sandstone,  which  is  claimed  to  represent  an  elephant.' 

It  is  to  be  observed,  however,  that  such  identifications  gen- 
erally owe  much  to  the  natural  desire  to  recognize  some- 
thing strange  or  unusual,  and  also  to  the  want  of  a  surficient 
knowledge  of  natural  history.  A  recently  published  in- 
Columbian,  but  the  date  cannot  be  fixed.  Reynolds  :  "  Aboriginal  Soapstone 
Quarries  in  the  District  of  Columbia,"  "  Report,  Peabody  Museum," 
vol.  II. 

'  In  the  American  Antiquarian  (March,  1880),  the  Rev.  S.  D.  Peet  announces 
the  discovery  of  a  pipe  which  he  believes  represents  an  elephant  ;  the  supposed 
.trunk  is  straight  and  the  smoke  escapes  through  a  skilfully  contrived  hole. 


I 


1 63 


PKL.J/IS TOKIC  AMERICA . 


vcstigation  of  bird-pipes  and  carvings  by  a  well-known  ornl- 
thuiogist  has  resulted  in  demolishing  the  foundation  of  much 


.  -r:':K\ 


iiXitr- 


FiG.  70.- -Pipe  representing  a  wildcat. 


Fig.  71. — Pipe  representing  a  woodpecker,  or  wading  bird. 

theorizing  which  had  been  based  on  the  identical  specimens 
e.xamincd.'     Forgeries  are  ahso  too  common. 

'  H.  W.  Henshaw,  2d  Annual  Rep.  P)ureau  of  Ethnology,  Washington,  1884. 


POTTERY,    WEAPONS,  AND   ORNAMENTS. 


163 


limens 


,  1884.. 


These  designs  have  often  represented  the  animal  in  a 
familiar  attitude  and  display  true  artistic  talent.  The  heron 
holds  a  fish  in  its  mouth,  an  otter  also  carries  a  fish,  and 
a  hawk  tears  a  little  bird  with  his  claws.  Seven  heads  have 
been  found  in  the  mounds  of  Ohio  which  are  supposed  to 
represent  the  walrus  or  manatee,  but  are  more  probably 
rudely  carved  otters. 


Fig.   72. — Stone  pipe,   supposed  to  represent  an   elephant,    found  in  Louisa 

counly,  Iowa. 

The  toucan,  elephant,  and  armadillo  require  a  warmer  cli- 
mate than  that  of  Ohio  or  Kentucky ;  the  manatee,  so  far  as 
the  United  States  are  concerned,  only  lives  in  Floridian 
waters,  where  it  is  now  extremely  rare,  if  not  extinct  as  a 
resident,  though  in  former  times  abundant. 


Fig.  73. — Pipe  found  in  Ohio,  representing  a  heron  holding  a  fish. 

The  llama,  which  has  been  said  to  be  found  sculptured  on 
rocks  on  the  banks  of  the  Susquehanna,  belongs  to  the  fauna 
of  the  South.  All  accounts  of  these  animals,  in  connection 
with  aboriginal  relics  found  in  the  United  States,  may  there- 
fore be  regarded  either  as  wrong  identifications  of  the  rudely 


\\ 


164 


PRE-HIsrORlC  AMERICA. 


carved  or  mutilated  figures  referred  to,  as  representing  ani- 
mals with  which  the  carvers  had  become  acquainted  either  by 
report  or  by  journeys  and  migrations,  or  as  forgeric::. 

At  Mound  City  four  pipes  have  been  dug  out,  eacl>  rep- 
resenting a  human  profile  of  a  very  characteristic  Indian 
type  '  (fig.  74).  One  of  them,  cut  in  a  very  hard  and  compact 
black  stone,  wears  a  peculiar  head-dress.  The  hair  is  plaited, 
and  round  the  forehead  were  fifteen  pearl  beads,  which  had 
been  calcined.  The  face  is  covered  with  incised  lines,  form- 
ing regular  tatooing,  the  mouth  is  comprei:sed,  the  eyes  are 


y^'Z/yy^'^///"/^/^//. 


Fig.  74. — -Pipes  found  at  Mound  City. 

large,  the  ears  are  pierced.  Another  t}'pe  represents  a 
woman,  and  may  be  compared  ;  s  far  as  execution  goes  with 
the  Mexican  and  Peruvian  sculptures."  A  pipe  from  Con- 
necticut represents  the  bust  of  a  woman,  with  the  wrists 
and    shoulders    laden   with    ornaments ;    another,   found  in 

'  Schoolcraft,  vol.  I,  pi.  xiii. 

'See  Garcilasso  de  la  Vega,  Book  VI.,  p.  187.  Peter  Martyr  d'  Angliiera  : 
"  De  Novo  Orbe,"  Dec.  187.  Clavigero  :  "  Hist.  Antigua  de  Mejico,"  2  vols., 
S°.  London,  1826. 


t 


POTTERY,  WEAPONS,   AND   ORNAMENTS. 


165 


Virginia,  presents  a  type  which  may  be  compared  with  the 
antique  Egyptian  ;  and  yet  another  pipe  from  Missouri,  in 
very  hard  sandstone,  represents  a  man's  head,  with  a  pointed 
beard  somewhat  like  that  seen  in  the  Assyrian  monoliths  of 
the  British  Museum.'  Finally,  one  of  these  pipes,  dis- 
covered in  Indiana,  and  the  last  we  shall  mention,  has  on 
one  side  a  death's  head,  and  on  the  other  that  of  a  goose. 

It  was  long  supposed  that  the  Mound  Builders  applied 
their  lips  to  the  hole  made  in  the  lower  part  of  the  bowl, 
and  thus  inhaled  the  smoke  ;  but  numerous  discoveries  have 
modified  this  opinion.  It  cannot  be  doubted  that  wooden 
stems  were  used,  which,  of  course,  would  decay  and  leave 
no  traces.  In  several  places  steatite  stems  have  been  found,' 
and  Professor  Andrews  mentions  othcs  in  earthenware, 
stone,  and  copper,  which  he  found  in  Ohio.'  In  California 
they  are  still  more  numerous, — even  remains  of  wooden 
stems  have  been  found  ;  and  the  Peabody  Museum  posses- 
ses one  such  tube  from  Massachusetts.  Long  ago,  Squicr 
spoke  of  similar  stems  in  the  Mississippi  valley,*  and  bone 
tubes  have  been  found  as  far  north  as  Canada.  At  Swanton, 
Vermont,"  an  old  burial-place  has  been  discovered,  in  the 
midst  of  a  forest  where  venerable  trees  replaced  others  yet 
more  ancient.  Here  the  excavations  yielded  numerous 
copper  tubes,  the  length  of  which  varied  from  three  to  four 
inches.  The  sheet  of  copper  had  been  drawn  out,  beaten, 
and  rolled  in  a  manner  giving  a  very  high  idea  of  the  skill 
of  the  workman.  Some  tubes  again  are  of  stone,  without 
ornament ;  on  one,  however,  a  bird  is  engraved  (fig.  75)  re- 
sembling a  spread  eagle." 

^  Am.  Ant.,  Jar  ,  1881. 

'  Schoolcraft,  vol.  1.,  p.  93,  pi.  xxxii.  and  xxxiii. 

'  "  Explorations  of  Mounds  in  S.  E.,  Ohio,"  "  Report,  Peabody  Museum," 

1877. 

*  "  Ancient  Monuments  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,"  "  Smith.  Cont.,"  vol.  I., 

p.  224,  fig.    122,  125. 

*  G.  H.  Perkins:   "  On  an  Ancient  Burial-ground  in  Swanton,  Vermont," 
"Rep.  Am.  Assoc,"  Portland,  1S73. 

*  Benei  th  the  bird  three  little  marks  can  easily  be   made  out. — (American 
Antiq.,  March,  1880).     These  have  been  supposed  to  be  letters  ;  but  nothing 


' 


lit 


'1: 

1 


m 


PRF-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


What  was  thfe  use  of  these  tubes,  met  with  in  such  differ- 
ent places?  Putnam  thinks  that  a  great  many  of  them  were 
the  stems  of  pipes,'  other  authorities  look  upon  them  as  in- 
struments of  music  ;  several  of  them,  notably  those  found  at 
Swanton,  are,  however,  not  pierced,  which  contradicts  both 
hypotheses  and,  on  the  assumption  that  they  were  finished 
implements,  leaves  us  in  complete  uncertainty.  Rau  thinks 
these  tubes  were  used  in  the  operations  of  medicine-men  or 
sorcerers,  so  numerous  in  Indian  tribes,  and  the  German 
traveller,  Kohl,  states  that  he  saw  a  medicine-man  use  the 
hollow  bone  of  a  wild  goose  to  operate  on  his  patient. 


Fig.  75.— Bird  engraved  on  a  stone  tube  from  Swanton,  Vermont. 

We  have  dwcit  on  every  thing  relating  to  pipes,  because, 
after  the  pottery,  they  are  the  most  important  objects 
hitherto  found,  and  also  because  this  taste  for  modelling 
men  or  animals  is  voiy  remarkable. 

Besides  the  human  figures  used  as  ornaments  on  pottery 
or  pipes,  we  meet  with  others,  which  have  been  taken  for 
images  of  divinities  supposed  to  be  adored  by  the  early  in- 

as  yet  justifies  us  in  supposing  that  the  Mound  Builders  were  sufficiently  ad- 
vanced in  civilization  to  have  an  alphabet. 

'  This  was  also  Squier's  opinion  after  his  discovery  at  Chillicothe  of  a  tube 
carved  in  slate,  thirteen  inches  long,  ending  :•■  a  mouthpiece.  "  Ancient  Men. 
of  the  Mississippi  Valley."  See  also  Cortereal,  "  Voy.  aux  Indes  occidentales," 
Amsterdam,  1722,  vol.  I.,  p.  39. 


I 


POTTERY,    WEAPONS,   AAD  ORNAMENTS. 


167 


-:i 


"habitants  of  North  America.  In  Tennessee '  many  stone, 
steatite,  sandstone,  and  terra-cotta  figures  have  been  found  ; 
in  Knox  county,  an  image  hewn  out  of  stalactite,  about 
twenty  inches  in  height  and  weighing  over  thirty-seven 
pounds. 

A  female  figure  was  discovered  in  the  Cumberland  valley, 
sculptured  of  brown  sandstone,  eleven  inches  high,  with  the 
sexual  organs  very  prominent;  in  Honduras  and  Guatemala 
'  .  c  been  found  numerous  terra-cotta  statuettes,  called 
jiianccas  by  the  present  inhabitants.  All  these  figures  arc  of 
somewhat  similar  type,  and  their  execution  is  always  coarse, 
contrasting  unfavorably  with  that  of  the  pottery  and  other 
carvinL  .  \  good  many  fraudulent  figures  have  turned  up 
from  time  to  time  in  the  United  States,  and  the  authenticity 
of  any  such  image  always  requires  careful  verification.  These 
forp'eries  are  the  more  dangerous  since  the  authors  of  them 
o'icn  ar/ange  that  they  shall  be  "  accidentally  "  found  by 
soniC  p  rson  whose  good  faith  cannot  be  questioned. 

In  some  "altar  mounds"  in  Anderson  township,  near  the 
Little  Miami  River,  Ohio,  Metz  and  Putnam  found  some 
very  remarkable  objects  in  1S82.  These  "  altars"  are  basins 
of  clay  burned  hard,  in  situ,  and  on  them  have  been  found 
thousands  of  articles  which  had  been  thrown  into  the  fire  as 
offerings  or  sacrifices.  Besides  native  copper,  silver,  and  a 
very  little  native  gold,  all  hammered  into  various  shapes,  a 
considerable  amount  of  meteoric  iron,  of  the  variety  known 
as  pallasite,  was  found  on  these  altars.  There  were  orna- 
ments of  bone,  mica,  shell  disks,  canine  teeth  of  the  bear  and 
other  animals,  about  half  a  bushel  of  pearls  (recalling  the 
story  of  D'^  Soto's  chronicler),  and  about  thirty  of  the  spool- 
shaped  copper  ear-plugs.  On  one  altar  were  found  several 
terra-cotta  figurines  quite  unlike  anything  hitherto  found  in 
the  mounds.  They  are  artistically  superior  to  any  figure- 
work  yet  noted  by  American  aborigines,  and  were  doubtless 

'  Jones  :  "  Smith.  Cont.,"  vol.  XXII.,  p.  128.  It  is  interesting  to  remem- 
ber that  tliese  supposed  idols  are  of  the  same  type  as  some  of  the  figures  made 
hy  the  Toltecs. 


\  .. 


'f 


im 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


the  product  of  some  workman  of  very  exceptional  talent. 
They  had  represented  in  their  ears  the  plugs  above  men- 
tioned, thus  determining  the  use  of  the  specimens  found. 
With  them  were  two  remarkable  stone  dishes  in  form  of 
animals,  probably  mythical  in  their  nature,  but  admirably 
wrought  and  polished.  These  remarkable  and  unique 
articles  have  been  restored  from  numerous  calcined  and 
splintered  fragments  and  of  their  authenticity  there  is  not 
a  shadow  of  doubt.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  they  will  be  fully 
illustrated  and  described  before  long  by  the  authorities  of 
the  Pcabody  Museum  where  they  are  deposited. 

Stone  vases,  or  jars  made  of  steatite,  are  also  met  with,  but 
rarely  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Some  of  these  vases 
have  handles.  In  California  cups  of  serpentine  have  also 
been  found.  Every  thing  was  turned  to  account  by  the 
aboriginal  inhabitants  of  America,  for  in  the  island  of  Santa 
Barbara  plates  have  been  found  hollowed  out  of  the  centra 
of  the  vertebrae  of  large  Cetacea.'  One  may  be  referred  to 
which  was  found  in  a  mound  near  the  Tallahatchee  River, 
Lafayette  county,  Mississippi,  provided  with  a  covjr  which 
closed  it  hermetically.  This  jar,  which  is  supposed  to  have 
been  a  funeral  urn,  weighs  more  than  one  hundred  pounds; 
the  execution  is  remarkable,  the  more  so  when  we  take  into 
account  the  wretched  tools  which  were  all  the  workmen  had 
at  their  command." 

We  may  also  notice  life-sized  human  masks  in  hard  stone, 
which  have  been  occasionally  found.  We  know  that  the 
Aztecs  made  similar  masks  in  obsidian  or  serpentine,  and 
placed  them  on  the  faces  of  the  dead.  The  same  custom 
prevailed  to  some  extent  further  north,  and  was  character- 
istic of  the  Aleuts  in  historic  times,  though  the  masks  used 
by  them  were  of  wood. 

It  was  by  patient  labor,  rubbing  one  stone  against  another, 
that  the  Mound  Builders  executed  their  sculptures.  The 
Mexicans    and    Peruvians    employed    the    same   processes, 

•  Ch.  Rau  :   "Smith.  Cont.,"  vol.  XXII.,  p.  37. 
'Jones:  "  Smith.  Cent.,"  vol.  XXII.,  p.  144,  fig.  85. 


POTTERY,    WEAPONS,    AND   ORNAMENTS. 


169 


ad 


ler, 
lie 


;es. 


after  having  first  rough-hewn  the  stone  with  the  help  of 
obsidian  implements.  It  was  natural  that  the  owners  of 
objects  so  laboriously  obtained  should  attach  very  great 
value  to  them,  and  we  do  in  fact  meet  with  pipes  mended 
with  extreme  care.  The  process  was  very  simple  :  holes 
were  pierced  at  tlic  edges  of  the  fracture,  and  little  rivets  of 
wood  or  copper  were  placed  in  them  to  keep  the  pieces  to- 
gether. 

Weapons  which  belonged  to  the  Mound  Builders  arc  more 
rare,  ant'  if  the  extent  and  importance  of  their  fortifications 
had  not  revealed  to  us  the  dangers  which  threatened  them, 
we  might  have  supposed  them  to  have  been  a  peaceful  race, 
entirely  devoted  to  agriculture  or  commerce.  We  can  how- 
ever refer  to  some  very  finely  executed  arrow-points.'  lance- 
heads,  and  daggers.  In  some  places  regular  magazines  have 
been  found,  where  numerous  spear-heads  have  been  col- 
lected. 

We  give  illustrations  of  a  couple  of  serpentine  hatchets 
(figs.  76  and  J"]),  from  among  a  number  which  are  so  like  the 
neolithic  implements  of  Europe  that  they  might  be  taken 
for  each  other.  Squier  tells  us  that  this  resemblance  is  so 
striking  as  to  lead  at  first  to  the  conclusion  that  they  are 
the  work  of  men  of  the  same  race  ;  which  conclusion  would, 
he  thinks,  be  irresistible  if  we  did  not  know  that  the  wants 
of  man  are  everywhere  the  same,  and  have  everyw  iiere  led 
him  to  give  to  his  implements  the  same  form,  and  to  use 
them  in  the  same  manner.  Similar  implements  are  barely 
out  of  use  in  the  more  remote  parts  of  Alask  i. 

Many  knives  or  daggers  arc  of  obsidian,  (the  Itzli  of  the 
Mexicans)  which  is  '.\  glass  of  volcanic  origin  and  was  known 
in  the  most  remote  ages.  I'lin)-(book  XXXVI.,  ch.  XXXI.) 
says  that  the  first  fragments  were  found  in  Ethiopia  by  Ob- 
sidius,  hence  the  name  by  which  it  is  known.  Great  quan- 
tities have    been   found   in   Mexico,  and  it   is  known   from 

'  Lucien  Carr  (Exiilor.ilion  of  .a  Mound,  I, ce  county,  Virginin  ;  "Report, 
Pea>)0(ly  Museum,"  vol,  II.,  p.  go)  gives  illustrations  of  .a  (juartzite  lance- 
point  and  a  chalcedony  dagger. 


I70 


PRE-HIS  TORIC  A  M ERICA . 


Alaska  to  Patagonia.  In  pre-historic  times  not  only  weapons 
were  made  of  it,  but  also  jewels,  ornaments,  and  even  look- 
ing-glasses. 

The  Mexicans,  according  to  Clavigero,  were  such  expert 
workmen  that  they  were  able  to  turn  out  a  hundred  obsidian 
knives  in  an  hour,  which  is  very  probable,  as  they  were 
hardly  more  than  elongated  flakes  of  the  glassy  material. 
The  Mexicans  also  inserted  a  double  row  of  bits  of  obsidian 


A 


KiGS.  76  and  77. — Serpentine  axes. 
A.— btard'.  Mound,  Ohio.  15.— Hill  Mound,  Ohio. 


Fig.   78. — Serpentine  implement  found  beneath  a  mound  near  Big  Harpeth 

River,  Tenne<«*ee. 

in  handles  of  very  hard  wood,  and  fastened  them  in  with 
cord  and  gum.  This  weapon  was  wielded  with  both  hands, 
and  the  Spanisli  historians  speak  of  \.\\<  terrible  havoc  it 
wrought.  The  Maliqualnvitl,  as  this  weapon  is  called,  is 
sculptured  on  a  door-post  at  Kabah,  Yucatan.'  Judging 
from  the  fragincnts  of  obsidian  arranged  in  regular  rows, 
occasionally  met  with  in  graves,  the  Mound  Builders  may 
have  had  a  very  similar  weapon. 


Bancroft,  vol.  IV.,  p.  aio. 


POTTERY.    WEAPONS,   AND   ORNAMENTS. 


171 


M 


It  is  almost  impossible  to  distinguish  between  the  weapons 
and  implements  of  these  primitive  times.  Hass  describes  a 
number  of  tools  fashioned  in  amphibolite,  quartzitc,  jadeite, 
and  granite,  all  well  made.'  Besides  these  we  hear  of  shell 
fish-hooks,  knives,  borers,  harpoons,  and  bone,  horn,  or  deer- 
horn  needles."  We  give  illustrations  of  two  implements  of 
peculiar  form,  unknown  in  Europe.  The  first  (fig.  78)  is  of 
serpentine,  eighteen  inches  long,  and  carefully  polished.  It 
was  found  under  a  mound  near  Big  Har- 
peth  River,  Tennessee.  Similar  imple- 
ments have  been  found  in  the  Cumber- 
land valley  ;  others  from  South  Carolina 
are  in  the  National  Museum  at  Wash- 
ington ;  their  use  is  unknown.  The 
second  of  which  we  give  an  illustration 
is  of  quartz,  and  comes  from  New  Jersey 
(fig.  79).  This  form  is  frequently  met 
with  in  America,  cspcciall)'  in  Ohio, 
Wisconsin,  Pennsylvania,  and  the  State 
of  New  York.''  Probably  some  of  these 
implements  were  used  in  tilling  the 
ground ;  in  Utah,  for  instance,  hewn 
stones  have  been  found  of  considerable 
size,  with  horn  handles,  supposed  to 
have  been  agricultural  implements. 
Schumacher  ("  Report,  Peabody  Muse- 
um," vol.  II.,  p.  271)  speaks  of  one  of 
these  implements  measuring  fourteen 
inches  long  by  five  wide. 

In    describing  the  mounds,  we  have  Fig.  79.— Flint  instrument 

,  r  i_  •      .^  1  •    1  from  New  Jersey. 

spoken     ot     numerous     objects    which                       •  ' 

served    either   as   ornaments    of   the    deceased  or  as  burial 

offerings.     These   ornaments  greatly    resemble    each  other 

in  every  region  where  artificial   mcjunds   have  been  erect- 

'  "Arch,  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,"  Rep.  Am,  Assoc,  Chicago,  i863. 
'Potter:  "Arch.  Rem.iins  in  S,  E.   Missouri,"  St.  Louis  Acad,  of  Sciences, 
1880.     Rau  :  "  Smith.  Contr.,"  vol.  XXII.,  fig.  236,  et  seq. 

'Rau  :  "Arch.  Coll.  of  the  U.  S.  Nat.  Museum,"  Washington,  1876,  fig.  99. 


A 


172 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


ed,  and  it  would  be  impossible  to  distinguish  those  of 
New  Jersey  from  those  of  Michigan,  or  those  of  Ohio  from 
those  of  Florida.  They  consist  of  pearls,  of  shells,  of  cylin- 
ders made  from  the  ribs  of  the  manatee,  the  pierced  teeth  of 
the  bear,  of  the  wild  cat,  wolf  and  shark,  the  bones  of  little 
birds,  the  claws  of  birds  of  prey,  and  rings  of  stone  or  bone.' 
Beneath  a  mound  near  St.  Clair  River,  Michigan,  a  collarhas 
been  found  made  of  bear  teetli,  alternating  with  beads  of 
copper  and  bird-bones.  All  this  recalls  the  ornaments  still 
affected  by  the  Indians  of  our  own  time. 

Beads  may  be  counted  by  thousands  ;  they  are  of  mother- 
of-pearl,  of  shell,  stone,  and  wood,  sometimes  covered  with 
a  thin  coating  of  metal.  Numerous  ornaments  of  wood 
covered  with  a  coating  of  copper  have  been  found,  chiefly 
near  Nashville  ;  and  under  a  stone  mound  in  Tennessee,  ear- 
plugs of  similar  workmanship.  Some  of  these  articles  are  of 
copper,  plated,  by  hammering,  with  native  silver,  gold,  or 
meteoric  iron. 

Mica,  with  its  brilliant  surface  played  an  important  part 
in  matters  of  ornament.  It  was  also  commonly  employed 
in  large  sheets  supposed  to  have  served  as  mirrors,  or  cut 
into  ovals,  spiral  or  diamond-shaped  points,  which  served  as 
ornaments.  At  Grave  Creek,  Virginia,  more  than  one 
hundred  sheets  of  mica  were  discovered,  pierced  with  holes 
for  hanging  them  up.  Under  a  mound  on  the  banks  of  the 
Little  Miami,  several  pieces  of  mica,  measuring  as  much  as 
a  foot  in  diameter,  are  mentioned  as  having  been  placed  on 
the  skeletons."  Chiefs  and  important  personages  wore  shell 
ornaments.  These  were  generally  cut  out  of  the  flattest 
part  of  large  shells.  The  shells  most  often  used  were  Biisy- 
coti  pcrvcrsiim,  Strombns  gigas,  Fasciolaria  gigantca,  and 
Marginclla  conoidalis.  These  species  are  still  found  off  the 
southeastern  coast  of  the  United  States  in  great  abundance. 
The  ornaments  were  worn  on  the  neck,  and  at  death  were 
placed  in  the  grave.     Two  such  ornaments  were  discovered 

'Rau  :  "  Smith.  Cont.,"  vol.  XXII.,  figs.  213  and  214. 
'Dr.  S.  Scoville,  Cincinnati  Quarterly  Journal,  April,  1875. 


i; 


POTTERY,   WEAPONS,   AND   ORNAMENTS. 


173 


in  Tennessee  on  one  of  which  (fig.  80)  four  birds'  heads  can 
be  made  out ;  the  edges  of  the  second  are  elegantly  carved. 
The  St.  Louis  Museum  owns  many  similar  shells;  on  one 
of  them  is  engraved  a  huge  spider.  On  others  an  attempt 
has  been  made  to  represent  human  figures,  and  even  scenes 
from  life,  such  as  a  battle  in  which  the  conqueror,  sword  in 
hand,  has  his  foot  on  the  breast  of  his  adversary.  In  a  pre- 
historic grave  of  Mackinac  Island  between  Lakes  Michigan 


Fig.  80. — Shell  ornament  from  Tennessee. 

and  Huron,  Robertson  found  two  pendants  made  of  sea 
shell.  These  pendants  must  therefore  have  been  taken 
across  the  greater  part  of  North  America.  Shells  were  also 
used  to  make  necklaces,  pins,  and  prob:  '  ly  many  other 
things  (fig.  81).  A  very  extensive  intertribal  trafific  in  such 
and  other  articles  has  doubtless  existed  in  America  from 
remote  ages.  As  recently  it  has  been  found  that  articles 
from  the  shores  of  the  Caspian  may  reach  the  mouth  of  the 
Mackenzie,  on  the  Arctic  Sea,  in  about  three  years,  by  barter, 
via  Bering  Strait,  it  is  not  wonderful  that  articles  from  Mex- 
ico or  Florida  should  be  found  in  Minnesota  or  New  Eng- 
land. 


",  1 


»74 


PRE.HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


Among  the  ornaments  affected  by  the  Mound  Builders 
were  polished  stones,  often  brought  from  long  distances,  and 
pierced  with  one  or  more  holes  for  hanging  them  up  by. 
Squicr  has  remarked  that  with  the  stones  from  the  mounds 
of  Mississippi,  the  holes  for  suspension  were  always  pierced 
at  a  distance  of  four  fifths,  of  an  inch  apart.  By  a  coincidence 
probably  accidental,  but  certainly  curious,  the  same  measure 
is  exactly  reproduced  on  some  stones  found  at  Swanton.'  Of 
these  stones,  some  are  of  considerable  weight,  and  sometimes 


Fig.  8i. — Pin  made  of  shell  from  Ely  Mound,  Va. 


Fig.  82. — Sculptured  stone  found  at  Swanton,  Vermont;    the  base  is  flat  and 
is  pierced  with  two  holes  for  suspension.     Length  3-j^  inches. 

exceed  two  pounds  ;  some  represent  animals  (fig.  82)  chiefly 
birds,  almost  always  roughly  hewn.  A  fragment  of  white 
marble  is  mentioned  in  which  the  parts  the  artist  wished 
especially  to  accentuate  are  colored  red.  It  would  indeed 
be  difificult  to  enumerate  all  the  varieties  which  have 
rewarded  excavations. 

We  must  not  omit  to  mention  the  metallic  ornaments  of 
the  Mound  Builders.     At  Connett's  Mound  more  than  five 

'  G.   H.   Perkins  :    "  On  an  Ancient  Burial  Ground  in  Swanton,  Vermont," 
Am.  Assoc,  Portland,  1873. 


POTTERY.    WEAPONS,   AND   ORNAMENTS. 


1/5 


hundred  copper  beads  (fi^.  83)  have  been  collected.  These 
beads   vere  intended  to  make  bracelets  or  necklaces. 

At  Circular  Mound,  near  the  Detroit  River,  some  similar 
beads  were  threaded  on  a  string  made  of  bark.  They  had 
been  shaped  froin  a  thin  sheet  of  copper,  first  cut  out  and 
then  rolled  without  any  trace  of  soldering.'  In  other  in- 
stances the  beads  were  of  oval  form,  and  their  manufacture 
must  have  presented  serious  difificulties. 

Besides  the  ornaments  just  mentioned  we  meet  with  celts. 
A  "  celt  "  is  an  implement  of  stone  or  bronze,  used  some- 
times as  a  weapon,  but  generally  for  industrial  purposes, 
performing  the  office  of  a  chisel  or  an  adze.  Celts  vary 
considerably  botii  in  shape  and  size,  but  usually  have   the 


FiH.  83. — Copper  beads  from  Connett's  Mound,  Ohio  (natural  size). 

outline  of  a  plane-iron  sucli  as  carpenters  use,  though  of 
course  much  thicker  when  of  stone,  and  with  the  cutting 
edge  more  or  less  arched.  There  are  also  scrapers,  scissors, 
knives,  lance-  and  arrow-points  of  different  forms,  all  made 
by  hammering  pieces  of  native  copper.  To  the  early  and 
late  aborigines  of  America  the  malleable  properties  of  cop- 
per were  well  known.  At  Swanton  a  copper  hatchet  was 
found  originally  provided  with  a  wooden  handle,  of  which 
fragments  could  still  be  distinguished ;  in  Wisconsin  a 
lance-point  and  a  knife  that  might  be  compared  with 
our  modern  weapons  (fig.  84) ;  at  Joliet,  Illinois,  a  sharp 
blade,  and  at  Fort  Wayne  a  knife.  On  a  skeleton  discovered 
beneath  a  mound  at  Zollicoffer  Hill,  a  copper  ornament   of 

'  Andrews  :  "  Expl.  in  S.  E.  Ohio."     "  Report,  Peabody  Museum,"  1S77. 


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176 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


'quite  peculiar  form  was  found.'     The  cross  surmounting  it 
led  people  to  suppose  it  to  be  of  European  origin ;  but  Dr. 

Jones  mentions  the  same  subject 
as  an  ornament  on  some  engraved 
shells  and  copper  objects,  also 
found  in  Tennessee.'  A  skeleton 
taken  from  one  of  the  Chillicothe 
mounds  bore  a  cross  upon  its  breast, 
and  a  figure  with  a  cross  engraved 
upon  its  shoulder  was  discovered  be- 
neath a  mound  in  the  Cumberland 
vai'cy.  The  cross  occurs  again  on 
one  of  the  bas-reliefs  of  Palenque, 
.■^iid  on  the  monuments  of  Cuzco,  in 
the  very  centre  of  the  worship  of  the 
-uii.  When  Grijalva  landed  in  15 18 
on  the  coast  of  Yucatan,  his  surprise 
v/as  great  to  meet  with  the  sign  of 
his  own  faith  in  the  temples  of  the 
natives.'  Similar  instances  occur  all 
over  the  continent  of  America  and 
are  mentioned,  though  it  is  impos- 
sible to  attach  any  importance  to 
them.  The  cross  is  of  great  antiquity 
in  all  countries.  It  is  found  on  the 
most  ancient  monuments  of  Egypt, 
where  it  symbolizes  eternal  life.  It 
is,  moreover,  one  of  the  simplest 
forms  of  ornament  and  as  such,  and 
as  suggested  by  many  flowers  and 
other  natural  objects,  we  should  ex- 
pect to  find  in  all  parts  of  the  world 

Fii;.  b4— Copper  weapons   that    it    has   been   made    use   of   by 

'  found  in  Wisconsin.  •     •«.-        

primitive  man. 

'  I'umam  :  "Arch.  Expi.  in  Tennessee."  "Rep.,  I'eabody  Mus.,"  1878, 
vol.  11.,  p.  307. 

■  Hey  wood  :  "  Expl.  of  the  Aboriginal  Remains  of  Tennessee."  "Srailh- 
'onian  Contr.,"  1876. 

^.Herrera:  "Hist.Gen.de   los  hechos   de  los   Castillanos   en  las   Islas  y 


POTTERY,    WEAPONS,    AXD   ORNAMENTS. 


177 


The  pottery  of  Missouri  and  the  discoveries  of  Putnam  in 
the  caves  of  Kentucky  have  already  revealed  the  nature  of 
the  clothing  worn  by  the  Mound  Builders,  and  mummies 
found  in  the  caves  of  the  western  states  enable  us  to  judge 
of  them  still  better.  The  bodies  were  wrapped  in  coarse 
cloth,  over  which  was  a  kind  of  net  with  wide  meshes, 
in  which  were  stuck  feathers  of  brilliant  colors,  the  whole  en- 
veloped in  a  third  covering  of  skin.  The  ancient  inhabitants 
of  America  manufactured  different  kinds 
of  tissues.  A  few  years  ago  the  excava- 
tion of  a  mound  near  the  Great  Miami 
River,  two  miles  north  of  Middlctown, 
Ohio,  yielded  several  fragments  of  half- 
burnt  cloth  mixed  with  charcoal,  and  hu- 
man bones  also  injured  by  fire.'  This  cloth 
which  had  been  coarsely  woven  by  hand 
was  doubtless  used  to  wrap  the  body  in  be- 
fore cremation,  or,  at  least,  the  partial 
burning  which  preceded  interment.  It 
cannot  reasonably  be  attributed  to  the 
present  Indians,  as  the  mound  showed  no 
traces  of  disturbance. 

Other  instances  confirm  what  wc  have 
just  stated.  In  Iowa  some  copper  a.xcs 
have  been  recently  discovered  carefully 
wrapped  in  very  well  preserved  cloth,'  and 
in  January,  1876,  excavations  in  a  mound 
in  Illinois'  brought  to  light  several  turtles 
in  beaten  copper  of  remarkable  workman- 
ship. Most  of  these  turtles  measure 
not  more  than  2  1-8  inches  in  length, 
and  the  copper  has  been   reduced   by  beating  to  a  thick- 


FiG.  85.  — Copper 
ornament  found  in  a 
stone  grave  .it  Zullicof- 
fer  Hill.  Tenn. 


Tierra  Firme  del  mar  Occano."  Madrid,  17^5-30,  Dec.  2d,  Book  III.,  chap. 
I.     The  first  edition  was  published  in  1605. 

'Foster:  "Description  of  samples  of  ancient  cloth  from  the  mounds  of 
Ohio."     "  Rep.,  Am.  Assoc.,"  Albany,  1851. 

'  Short  :   "  The  North  Americans  of  Antiquity,"  p.  37. 

*  Bulletin  of  the  Buffalo  Society  of  Natural  History,  March,  1877. 


178 


PKk.mSTQRiC  AMERICA. 


ncss  of  1-64  of  an  inch.  These  jewels,  for  such  they 
must  be  called,  evidently  of  great  value,  were  enveloped  suc- 
cessively in  a  vegetable  tissue,  some  stufT  of  brown  color 
made  of  the  hair  cither  of  the  rabbit  or  some  other  animal,' 
and  lastly  in  a  covering  made  out  of  the  intestines  of  some 
animal.  In  the  same  mound  were  found  teeth  of  a  deer 
perforated  for  suspension  and  covered  with  very  thin  plates 
of  copper.  These  teeth  were  wrapped  like  the  turtles  we 
have  just  described. 

The  Ohio  mounds,  which  have  afforded  results  so  fruitful 
for  science,  have  also  yielded  a  very  well-preserved  piece 
of  skin  about  eight  or  ten  inc-lics  long,  ornamented  with  nu- 
merous oval  copper  beads.  This  was  a  fragment  of  a 
garment  which  had  belonged  to  a  Mound  Builder." 

The  copper  which  the  Mound  Builders  used  so  frequently 
came  frf)m  the  shores  of  Lake  .Superior.*  The  works  of 
ancient  miners  are  scattered  over  a  region  1 50  miles  long 
and  from  four  to  seven  miles  wide,  now  called  the  Trap-zone. 
Keweenaw  Point  juts  out  like  a  buttress  into  the  lake  for  a 
distance  of  seventy  miles,  and  the  mineral  deposits  which 
abound  there  have  been  worked  in  remote  ages,  though  all 
traces  had  been  obliterated,  and  all  memory  of  the  old 
miners  lost,  until,  in  1848,  the  work  of  a  mining  company 
laid  then:  bare.  The  depth  of  the  excavations,  which  were 
always  open  to  the  sky,  varied  from  twciity  to  thirty  feet, 
the  latter  forming  the  extreme  limit  to  which  these  inexperi- 
enced workmen  dared  to  penetrate,  and  the  copper  was 
found  in  masses  varying  from  a  few  ounces  to  thousands  of 
pounds.     In   one  mine,  which  had  been  choked  up  in  the 

'  Examination  with  the  microscope  has  not  succeeded  in  satisfactorily  de- 
termining the  nature  of  this  hair.  It  is  known,  however,  that  the  Nahuas  manu- 
factured a  tissue  as  line  as  sillt  out  of  rahliit's  hair. 

"School-house  Mound,  Ohio.  Andrews;  "  Report,  Peabody  Museum,"  vol. 
II.,  p.  65. 

•  C.  Jackson  :  "  Geological  Report  to  the  U.  S.  Government,"  1849  Fos- 
ter and  Whitney:  "  Report  on  tiie  Geology  of  the  Lake  Superior  I\e(;i'>n."  p. in 
1,  1850.  Ch.  Whittlesey  :  "Ancient  Mining  on  the  Shores  of  Lake  .Siipcnoi  "  ; 
Am.  Assoc.,  Montreal,  Canada,  1857.  Swineford  :  '  Review  of  the  Mineral 
Resources  of  Lake  Superior,"  1876. 


POTTERY,    WEAPONS,   AND   ORNAMENTS. 


•79 


course  of  years  with  earth  and  vegetable  refuse,  the  remains 
of  several  generations  of  trees,  was  found,  at  about  eighteen 
feet  from  the  surface,  a  block  of  metal  measuring  two  feet 
long  by  three  wide  and  two  thick,  and  weighing  nearly  six 
tons.  This  mass  had  been  placed  on  rollers  from  six  to 
eight  inches  in  diameter,  the  edges  of  which  still  bore  the 
marks  of  a  sharp  instrument.  The  miners  had  rolled  the 
mass  up  about  five  feet,  and  then  they  had  abandoned  an 
undertaking  beyond  their  strength  or  the  means  at  their  dis- 
posal. Their  mining  processes  were  very  simple;  the  work- 
men lighted  great  fires  in  the  mine,  and  when  the  rock  had 
become  friable  they  broke  it  with  powerful  blows  of  a  stone 
hammer  or  mallet.  Several  of  the  mallets  used  have  been 
found,  the  heaviest  weighing  as  much  as  thirty-six  pounds; 
also  a  great  number  of  small  serpentine  or  porphyry  ham- 
mers. Knapp,  who  was  the  first  to  direct  th::se  excavations, 
states  that  he  took  out  from  these  mines  ten  cart-loads  of 
stone  implements  of  all  kinds.  In  an  unusually  deep  cxci;- 
vation,  a  quite  primitive  ladder  was  found,  consisting  of  the 
trunk  of  a  young  tree,  with  the  branches  cut  at  unequal 
distances  to  serve  as  rungs.  In  other  places  shovels,  levers, 
and  dippers  of  cedar  wood  were  discovered,  preserved 
from  destruction  by  the  water  in  which  they  were  soakod. 
Everywhere  copper  implements  were  found  side  by  side  with 
stone,  mostly  bearing  marks  of  long  service.  One  mallet 
weighed  mtirc  than  twenty  pounds.  Like  all  the  other  cop. 
per  objects  it  had  been  made  by  hammering  unheated. 

Various  analyses  of  the  copper  of  Lake  Superior  have 
proved  its  identity  with  that  collected  from  the  mounds. 
Both  yield  the  same  proportion  of  silver,  and  we  know  that 
the  latter  metal  is  always  present  with  copper  in  varying 
quantities. 

The  deposits  of  Isle  Royal,  Lake  Superior,  were  even 
richer  than  those  of  Keweenaw  Point.'  They  extended  for  a 
distance  of  forty  miles,  and  the  ground  was  riddled  with 
ancient  excavations  dug  out  to  get  at  the  ore.     It  has  been 

'  H.  Gillman  :     "  Ancient  Works  of  Isle  Royal."     "  Smith.  Com.,"  1873. 


h 


n 


H 


iM 


i8o 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


estimated  that  the  vegetation  rising  from  the  old  mining 
works  of  the  Great  Lakes  represent  an  approximate  duration 
of  several  centuries.  But  we  have  already  referred  to  the 
uncertain  character  of  what  may  be  called  vegetable  evi- 
dence. 

Traces  of  native  mining  operations  have  been  found  in  sev- 
eral other  parts  of  North  America,  in  Arkansas,  Missouri,  and 
on  the  slopes  of  tho  Ozark  Mountains,  for  instance.'  There 
were  also  copper  mines  in  Me-xico,"  but  there  is  nothing  to 
show  when  they  were  worked.  Captain  Peck  noticed  near 
the  Ontonagon  River,  in  northern  Michigan,  at  a  depth  of 
twenty-five  feet,  some  sledges  and  other  tools  in  contact  with 
a  vein  of  copper.'  A  little  above  them  lay  the  fallen  trunk 
of  an  old  cedar ;  the  roots  of  a  fir  in  full  vigor  surrounded 
the  cedar.  This  fir  was  estimated  to  be  at  least  a  hundred 
years  old,  and  to  that  time  must  be  added  the  age  of  the 
cedar  it  had  replaced,  with  the  yet  longer  period  necessary 
to  the  filling  up  of  the  abandoned  cutting  by  the  slow  accu- 
mulations of  successive  winters,  which  supplied  the  trees 
with  the  vegetable  earth  necessary  to  their  growth. 

Copper  seems  to  have  been  the  only  meLal  in  common 
use  amongst  the  Mound  Builders.  Few  well  authenticated 
discoveries  of  gold  are  known  ;  silver  was  rare,  and  so  far 
has  been  found  chiefly  under  some  mounds  of  Mound  City, 
in  very  thin  'eaves  covering  shells  or  copper  ornaments,  and 
this  plating  is  so  well  done  that  the  work  of  the  artificer 
can  only  be  made  out  with  difficulty.  This  silver  must  have 
come  from  Lake  Superior,  where  it  is  found  associated  with 
native  copper  in  a  metallic  state. 

It  has  been  generally  supposed  that  iron  was  unknown,* 
and  in  numerous  excavations  made  at  many  different  points 
and  in  many  different  regions,  not  a  scrap  of  it  has  been 
found.  We  have  previously  mentioned  the  recent  and  au- 
thentic discovery  of  meteoric  iron  by  Putnam   and   Metz  in 

'  Schoolcraft  :   "  Archives  of  Aboriginal  Knowledge,"  vol.  I.,  p.  loi. 
'  I"',  von  Hellwald  :  "  Congres  des  Americanistes,"  Luxembourg,  1877. 

*  Lubbock  :   "  Prehistoric  Times,"  p.  28g. 

*  Iron  ore  and  galena  occur,  but  no  iron  or  lead,  Bancroft,  vol.  IV.,  p.  778. 


POTTERY,    WEAPONS,    AND  ORNAMENTS. 


I8l 


the  Little  Miami  mounds,  which  show  that  it  was  considered 
very  valuable,  since  copper  ornaments  were  plated  with  it 
as  others  were  with  gold  or  silver.  Previous  statements 
with  regard  to  the  discover)'  of  iron  in  the  mounds  are,  with- 
out exception,  unsatisfactory. 

The  Mound  Builders  are  supposed  to  have  been  quite  ig- 
norant of  any  process  of  fusing  metals,'  and  their  weapons, 
or  implements  of  copper,  were,  as  we  have  more  than  once 
remar'  ed,  shaped  by  hammering.  A  recent  discovery, 
however,  is  claimed  to  modify  this  opinion  and  to  prove  that 
in  one  place  at  least  the  Mound  Builders  understood  the  art 
of  smelting  metals.  Some  recent  excavations  in  Wisconsin 
have  yielded  not  only  implements  of  copper,  but  the  very 
moulds  in  which  they  arc  supposed  to  have  been  cast.  It  is 
desirable  that  other  facts  should  confirm  an  assertion  upset- 
ting the  hitherto  generally  received  opinion.'  It  has  been 
held  by  some  and  with  much  probability,  that  the 
moulds  were  used  in  the  process  of  shaping  cold  copper,  a 
piece  of  approximately  similar  form  having  been  put  into 
the  mould  and  hammered  until  it  took  the  shape  of  the 
cavity.  The  experiment  was  caccessfully  tried  by  Dr.  Hoy 
with  one  of  the  stone  moulds. 

Traces  of  cultivation  attributed  to  the  Mound  Builders  are 
numerous  in  the  western  states,  especially  in  Michigan  and 
Indiana.'  These  are  parallel  embankments,  which  often 
cover  a  considerable  area,  several  acres  for  instance,  to  which 
have  been  given  the  significant  name  of  Garden-beds.  We 
meet  with  similar  embankments  in  Missouri  and  in  all  the 


*  There  is  no  evidence  thai  metal  was  ever  obtained  from  ore  by  smelting. 
The  Mound  Builders  were  ignorant  of  the  arts  of  casting,  welding,  and  alloy- 
ing.    Bancroft,  vol.  IV.,  p.  778. 

*  The  above  was  written  when  1  heard  of  a  letter  from  Putnam,  of  Nov.  17, 
1 88 1,  called  "  Were  ancient  implements  hammered  or  moulded  into  shape?" 
The  learned  professor  concludes  with  me  that  there  is  so  far  no  serious  proof  of  the 
use  of  moulding.  "  Besides  beating,"  adds  Putnam,  "  these  men  employed  one 
other  process  ;  the  metal  was  rolled  between  two  flat  stones,  by  which  means 
the  required  form  was  obtained." 

*  Schoolcraft :  "  Ancient  Garden-Beds  in  Grand  River  Valley"  (Michigan), 
vol.  I.,  p.  50,  and  pi.  VI.  Conant,  p.  65. 


•^1 


^^^^^ 


183 


PA£-///srOAVr  AMF.h'lCA. 


I! 


districts  west  of  the  Mississippi ;  they  extend  into  the  valleys 
of  the  Ozark  Mountains,  from  Pulaski  county  to  the  (iulf 
of  Mexico  on  the  south,  to  the  banks  of  the  Colorado  and  to 
Texas  on  the  west,  and  to  Iowa  on  the  north.  Their 
diameter  varies  from  ten  to  sixty  feet,  and  their  hei|^ht  from 
two  to  three  feet.  Numerous  and  detailed  excavations  have 
yielded  no  relic,  no  bone,  no  frajjnient  of  pottery,  no  heap  of 
cinders  or  of  coal  that  could  witness  to  the  residence 
or  the  burial  of  man.  They  cannot  therefore  be  compared 
cither  with  the  kitchen  middens  or  the  sepulchral  mounds. 

Professor  Forshey  attests  their  presence  in  Louisiana,  where 
they  are  of  considerably  larger  dimensions,  their  diameter 
varying;  from  thirty  to  one  hundred  and  forty  feet.  It  should 
be  added  that  the  diameter  of  one  hundred  and  forty  feet  is 
an  isolated  case.  Their  j^reatest  height  is  five  feet,  which 
diminishes  to  a  few  inches  in  the  vast  marshes  stretching  away 
from  the  shores  of  the  (iulf  ot  Mexico.  At  certain  points  these 
embankments  touch  each  other,  and  between  (ialveston  and 
Houston,  between  the  Red  River  and  Wichita,  they  can  be 
counted  by  thousands.  According  to  Forshey,  who  de- 
scribed them  to  the  New  Orleans  Academy  of  Sciences, 
these  embankments  cannot  iiave  served  as  the  founda- 
tions of  the  homes  of  men.  He  remarked  that  none  of  the 
known  burrowing;  animals  execute  such  works,  whilst  hurri- 
canes could  not  have  accumulated  materials  with  such  rejjju- 
larity.  He  added  that  in  his  opinion  it  was  impossible  to 
say  any  thinj;  definite  with  regard  to  their  orij^in,  which 
seemed  to  him  ine.xplicable.  Other  arch;eologists  are  more 
positive  ;  they  consider  that  these  embankments  could  have 
been  used  for  nothing  but  cultivation,  and  that  they  were  in- 
tended to  counteract  the  humidity  of  the  soil,  still  the 
greatest  obstacle  with  which  the  tillers  of  the  rich  plains  of 
the  lower  Mississippi  valley  have  to  contend. 

According  to  certain  authorities  the  Mound  Huilders  cul- 
tivated maize,  frijohs  or  black  kidney  beans,  introduced  by 
the  Spaniards  into  Furojie.  and  even  the  vine,  A  recent  ex- 
plorer, Amasa   Potter,   in   describing  the  excavations  of   a 


POTTER  W    UKAPOXS,   AND  ORNAMEXTH. 


'Si 


cul- 
:cl  by 


inoutul  in  Utah,  tells  of  having  found  u  handful  nf  corn, 
a  few  grains  of  which  carefully  collected  and  planted  yielded 
the  following  year  an  ear  of  exceptional  length,  containing  a 
number  of  grains  of  a  shape  quite  distinct  from  that  of 
any  cereal  of  to-day  ;  but  the  whole  account  of  this  dis- 
covery is  so  extraordinary  that  it  is  impossible  to  accept  it. 

To  sum  up:  the  vast  region  between  the  Mississippi  on 
the  west  and  the  Alleghanies  on  the  east  and  between 
the  Ohio  on  the  north  and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  on  the  south, 
was  occupied  for  centuries,  the  exact  number  of  which  it 
is  impossible  to  estimate  in  the  present  state  of  our  knowledge, 
by  man.  Judging  from  the  number  of  .structures  left  to  bear 
witness,  this  population  was  numerous;  tolerably  homo- 
geneous, for  everywhere  we  recognize  similar  funeral  rites, 
and  much  the  same  arts  and  industries ;  sedentary,  for 
nomads  w  ould  not  have  erected  such  temples  or  c<instructed 
such  intrenchments  ;  pa.storal  and  agricultural,  for  the  chase 
could  not  have  supplied  all  their  needs  ;  subject  to  chiefs,  for 
a  despotic  authority  must  have  been  indispensable  to  the 
erection  of  the  wt)rks  left  behind  them  ;  and  lastly  they  must 
have  been  traders,  for  beneath  the  same  mounds  we  find  the 
copper  of  Lake  Superior,  the  mica  of  the  Alleghanies,  the 
obsidian  of  Mexico,  and  the  pearls  and  shells  of  the  Gulf.  All 
testify  to  the  fact  that  the  men,  whose  traces  we  are  seeking, 
had  long  since  risen  from  the  barbarism  of  savagery,  and  that 
they  had  attained  to  a  state  of  comparative  culture.  It 
is  certain  that,  as  with  all  the  savage  races  whose  evolution 
history  enables  us  to  follow,  this  culture  could  only  have 
been  acquired  .slowly  and  by  degrees. 

What  then,  we  must  now  ask,  were  the  men,  whose  works 
so  ju.stly  e.xcite  our  astonishment?  Did  the  Mound  Huilders 
di.-^appear  ?  Were  they  aboriginal,  or  were  their  architecture, 
their  industrial  art,  and  their  agriculture  of  foreign  origin? 
If  they  migrated  from  neighboring  regions,  or  from  distant 
continents,  what  were  those  regions  and  what  those  con- 
tinents? Hy  what  route  did  they  travel,  and  if  they  disap- 
peared how  was  it  that  all  recollection  of  their  disappe.'irance 


1 84 


PKE-HISTOKIC  AMERICA. 


\  \  i  |! 


I 


!i    '■      \ 


I   1 


was  effaced  from  the  memory  of  their  conquerors  or  their 
successors?  It  is  impossible  to  disguise  cither  the  bearing 
of  these  questions  on  the  development  of  the  American 
races ;  or  the  fact  that  at  present  we  can  but  partially  solve 
them.  The  conditions  of  the  problem  and  the  opinions 
which  have  been  successively  enounced  may  be  briefly 
stated. 

Those  who  have  made  this  subject  their  special  study  have 
been  divided  into  two  parties,  and  religious  prejudice  has 
even  been  invoked  to  aggravate  the  difficulties  already  in 
themselves  so  great.  To  the  most  recent  and  cautious  investi- 
gators the  Indians  at  the  time  of  the  conquest  represent 
in  a  general  way  the  so  called  Mound  Builders,  while  others, 
on  the  contrary,  assert  that  the  builders  of  the  great  mounds 
have  completely  disappeared,  and  these  persons  absolutely 
refuse  to  admit  the  possibility  of  the  native  races  of  North 
America  being  their  descendants.  We  must  examine  in 
turn  the  arguments  and  objections  which  arc  not  wanting  for 
or  against  any  of  the  theories  put  forth. 

One  thing  is  certain  :  The  analogy  between  the  mounds 
is  such  that  they  cannot  but  be  the  work  of  a  people  in 
about  the  same  stage  of  culture.  "  They  are  all  built  by  one 
people,"  observes  Conant,  on  p.  39  of  his  "  Footprints  of 
Vanished  Races,"  and  it  is  not  less  certain  that  centuries 
may  have  been  required  for  their  erection.  The  men  who 
worked  the  mines  of  Lake  Superior,  who  erected  such  mounds 
as  those  of  Newark,  Portsmouth,  Cincinnati,  Chillicothc,  and 
Circleville,  and  such  fortifications  as  those  of  Ohio,  must  long 
have  dwelt  in  these  regions,  though  it  is  impossible  to  fix  the 
limits  of  their  occupation.  The  question  of  the  time  of  their 
residence  is  so  intimately  connected  with  that  of  their  origin, 
that  it  is  impossible  to  separate  them. 

One  preliminary  remark  must  be  made :  in  the  caves  and 
beneath  the  tumuli  of  Europe  have  been  found  numerous 
well-preserved  human  bones,  often  dating  from  the  most  re- 
mote antiquity,  while  this  is  less  commonly  the  case  in 
America.     These  excavations  have  often  yielded,  as  the  last 


POTTERY,    WEAPONS,   AND  ORNAMENTS. 


185 


vestiges  of  the  human  body,  but  a  few  little  heaps  of  white 
dust ;  though  hundreds  of  skeletons  have  been  taken  out,  but 
a  small  proportion  of  them  have  been  treated  with  the  care 
necessary  to  their  preservation. 

It  has  also  been  noticed  that  mounds  are  rarely  met  with 
in  the  lower  levels '  of  the  districts  watered  by  the  Ohio  or 
its  tributaries.  These  structures  nearly  all  rise  from  terraces 
formed  by  ancient  alluvial  deposits,  and  some  have  retained 
to  this  day  traces  of  great  inundations  which  altered  the 
valleys.  It  is  likely  that  their  builders  chose  their  sites  so 
as  to  avoid  the  great  floods,  the  disastrous  effects  of  which 
they  must  have  annually  experienced  at  the  outset.  Recent 
discoveries  enable  us  to  add  that  some  of  the  mounds  rise 
from  the  most  recent  alluvial  deposits.  This  fact  would 
prove  that  the  erection  of  mounds  went  on  for  centuries. 

The  giants  of  the  forest  have  covered  many  of  the  arti- 
ficial earthworks,  and  generations  of  tree  in  their  turn  suc- 
ceeded the  residence  of  man.  Such  changes  surely  needed 
a  long  period  of  time.  "  The  process  by  which  nature  re- 
stores the  forest  to  its  original  state,  after  being  once 
cleared,  is  extremely  slow,"  says  General  Harrison'  in  a 
speech  already  quoted.  "  The  rich  lands  of  the  West  are, 
indeed,  soon  covered  again,  but  the  character  of  the  growth 
is  entirely  different,  and  continues  so  for  a  long  period.  In 
several  places  upon  the  Ohio,  and  upon  the  farm  which  I 
occupy,  clearings  were  made  in  the  first  settlement  of  the 
country,  and  consequently  abandoned  and  suffered  to  grow 
up.  Some  of  these  new  forests  are  now  sure  of  fifty  years' 
growth,  but  they  have  made  so  little  progress  toward  attain- 
ing the  appearance  of  the  immediately  contiguous  forest  as 
to  induce  any  man  of  reflection  to  determine  that  at  least 
ten  times  fifty  years   must    elapse    before   their   complete 

'  The  difference  of  level  between  the  high  and  low  water  is  thirty-five  feet  for 
the  Upper  Mississippi,  from  thirty  to  thirty-five  for  the  Missouri,  and  forty-two 
for  the  Ohio. 

*  "  Trans.  Hist.  Soc.  of  Ohio,"  vol.  I.,  p,  263.  See  also  "  Arch.  Americana," 
vol.  I.,  p.  306  ;  and  Squier  and  Davis'  "  Ancient  Monuments  of  the  Mississippi 
Valley,"  1848,  p.  306. 


if 


1 86 


FKE-U/S  TOKIC  A  M ERICA . 


{( 


assimilation  can  be  effected.  We  find  in  the  ancient  works 
all  that  variety  of  trees  which  give  such  unrivalled  beauty 
to  our  forests,  in  natural  proportions.  The  first  growth  of 
the  same  kind  of  land,  once  cleared  and  then  abandoned  to 
nature,  on  the  contrary,  is  nearly  homogeneous,  often  stinted 
to  one  or  two,  at  most  three,  kinds  of  timber.  If  the  ground 
has  been  cultivated,  the  yellow  locust  will  thickly  spring 
up;  if  not  cultivated,  the  black  and  white  walnut  will  be  the 
prevailing  growth.  *  *  *  Of  what  immense  ages,  then, 
must  be  the  works  so  often  referred  to,  covered  as  they  are 
by  at  least  the  second  growth  after  the  primitive  forest 
state  was  regained  ?  " 

Harrandt '  describes  a  regular  town,  a  Mound  City  he 
calls  it,  on  the  Yellowstone  River,  which  town  had  perfectly 
straight  avenues  and  mounds  at  equal  distances.  Another 
town  rather  like  this,  on  the  Moreau  River,  contains  nearly 
two  hundred  mounds,  and  a  third  rises  on  the  banks  of  the 
Great  Cheyenne,  Nebraska.  In  Missouri  and  Arkansas  we 
also  see  a  considerable  number  of  mounds  of  elliptical  form, 
measuring  from  five  to  seven  yards  long,  and  rising  from 
about  one  foot  to  one  and  a  half  feet  above  the  ground. 
All  are  symmetrically  arranged,  with  passages  crossing  each 
other  at  right  angles,  as  do  our  streets.^  Excavations  have 
yielded  nothing  but  charcoal  or  fragments  of  coarse  pottery, 
from  which  no  useful  inferences  could  be  drawn.  In  the 
neighborhood  numerous  jasper  and  agate  arrow-points  have 
been  picked  up,  and  syenite  and  porphyry  axes. ' 

It  has  been  claimed  by  those  who  would  see  in  the  build- 
ers of  the  mounds  a  unique,  civilized,  and  vanished  race, 
that  the  symmetry  above  described  is  foreign  to  the  charac- 
ter of  the  existing  Indians,  that  the  Indian  races  did  not 
build  mounds,  that  the)'  did  not  throw  up  embankments, 
that  their  customs  and  industries  have  never  presented  so 
striking  a  similarity  as  the  remains  of  the  mounds  seem  to 

'  "  Smithsonian  Report,"  1870. 

*J.  Dille;    "Smithsonian  Report,"  1S66. 

'  "  Narrative  of  a  Journey  across  the  Cordillera  of  the  Andes."  London,  1825. 


POTTERY,    WEAPONS,   AND   ORNAMENTS. 


icS; 


indicate  for  their  builders,  that  the  Indians  could  not  or 
would  not  diy  canals,  hammer  copper  into  utensils,  or  make 
such  pottery  as  that  found  in  the  mounds.  It  is  also 
said  that  the  Indians  have  no  traditions  in  regard  to  the 
mounds,  or  ascribe  them  to  a  foreign  race  or  to  some  mythi- 
cal people,  and  have  no  reverence  for  them  such  as  would  be 
expected  if  the  works  were  the  tombs  of  their  ancestors. 

Of  these  arguments  it  may  be  said  that  there  is  hardly 
one  of  them  which  has  not  already  been  refuted  by  scientific 
researches  of  recent  days,  and  most  of  them  would  never 
have  been  offered  if  the  persons  who  advanced  them  hau 
had  our  present  knowledge  of  the  'American  races,  the 
mounds,  and  the  methods  of  scientific  archaeology.  This  is 
no  reproach  to  the  early  investigators.  Archjeology  >  a 
science  is  young,  and  yet  those  \,'ho  depend  upon  many  of 
the  early  writer  f.  ■  their  general  principles  are  in  the  posi- 
tion of  the  blind  led  by  the  blind. 

It  shun  id,  however,  be  distinctly  understood  tliat  the 
reference  to  "  Indians  "  in  connection  with  the  mounds,  is  a 
strictly  general  term.  The  richest,  most  cultured,  and  most 
sedentary  of  the  Indian  tribes  existing  when  the  white  race 
poured  into  America  like  a  resistless  flood,  have  been  de- 
stroyed ;  of  many  tribes  none  remain.  Of  others  only  a 
most  feeble  remnant  e.xists  or  lately  existed  in  a  region  to 
which  they  have  been  exiled  from  the  lands  of  their  fathers. 
Those  who  constitute  the  greater  portion  of  our  Indian 
population  to-day  are  those  who  were  nomads,  wanderers, 
the  Bedouins  of  America,  the  idle  wanderers  who  were  not 
tied  to  the  soil  by  their  progress  in  culture,  and  who  proba- 
bly never  troubled  themselves  about  mounds  as  long  as  they 
could  shift  their  wigwams  from  one  good  hunting  ground  to 
another.  It  is  of  these  that  one  thinks  as  Indians  when  the 
contrast  between  Mound  Builder  and  Indian  is  mooted. 
Again,  even  among  those  who  were  not  of  the  nomadic 
category  there  is  no  doubt  that  their  facility  in  many  ab- 
original arts  wilted  before  the  sun  of  civilization,  while  the 
methods  and  tools  of  the   white  man.  like  foreign  weeds. 


\\ 


1 88 


PRF..HIST0R1C  AMERICA. 


\  ill' 

1'     ' 


sprang  up  in  the  vacant  place.  Why  spend  hours  of  work 
making  fragile,  if  artistic,  pots  when  an  otter  skin  would 
purchase  three  good  kettles  outlasting  a  wilderness  of  pots? 
Why  wearily  weave  the  macerated  fibres  of  wild  herbage  to 
a  coarse,  unsightly  fabric  when  a  basket  of  wild  berries 
would  sell  to  the  white  man  for  a  fathom  of  bright  calico? 
The  Indian,  whatever  romance  may  be  reflected  upon  him 
by  the  novelist  in  trying  to  hold  the  mirror  up  to  nature,  is, 
in  business  matters,  as  he  understands  them,  severely  practi- 
cal. The  white  man's  tools,  fabrics,  weapons,  kettles  are 
the  better  ones,  and  the  Indian  adopts  them.  After  three 
centuries  of  this  sort  of  thing  why  should  the  disappearance 
of  many  historically  recorded  aboriginal  methods  astonish  us. 

It  is  also  to  be  remembered  that  America  holds  many 
peoples  of  different  culture  and  habits.  We  know  that  most 
of  them  are  ultimately  related  though  put  in  various  linguis- 
tic families.  Were  their  heaps  of  refuse  and  the  relics  of 
their  villages  their  only  record,  who  would  claim  kindred 
between  the  Pueblos  of  the  South  and  the  fishing  Indians  of 
Canada  ?  the  Northern  Tinnch  and  the  Apache,  or  many 
other  contemporaries  ?  These  reservations  made,  the  prob- 
lem of  the  mounds  becomes  less  misty. 

Although  it  is  true  that  we  meet  with  no  structures  amongst 
the  Indians  of  the  extreme  north  which  at  all  recall  those  of 
the  Mound  Huilders,  and  although  the  laziness  of  the  ab- 
origines of  the  present  time  is  so  indomitable  that  they  have 
often  not  even  dreamed  of  turning  the  mounds  to  account  for 
the  burial  of  their  own  dead,  facts  of  a  different  kind  maybe 
quoted  with  regard  to  other  regions.  The  Kickapoos  living 
in  southern  Illinois,  and  the  Shawnees,  who  dwelt  near 
Nashville,  buried  their  dead,  until  quite  recent  times,  in 
stone  graves.  This  fact,  we  must  add,  has  been  called  in 
question,  especially  by  Carr  in  his  "  Observations  on  the 
Crania  from  the  Stone  Graves  of  Tennessee,"  '  and,  if  it  be 
true,  there  is  nothing  to  prove  that  the  Indians  did  not  use 
sepulchral  chambers  dating  from  before  their  arrival  in  the 
locality. 


'  "  Report,  Peabody  Museum,"  vol.  II.,  pp.  361,  etc. 


POTTERY,    WE  A  POX  S,  AND  ORNAMENTS. 


189 


The  testimony  of  the  Spanish  historians  is  more  impor- 
tant. Garcilasso  de  la  Vega '  tells  of  the  Indian  mode  of 
founding  a  town  at  the  time  of  the  conquest.  According  to 
him  the  Indians  collected  large  quantities  of  earth  with  which 
they  formed  a  platform  many  feet  in  height,  large  enough 
to  hold  from  ten  to  twelve  houses,  or  if  necessary  fifteen  to  . 
twenty.  There  dwelt  the  chief,  his  family  and  his  chief 
attendants.  At  the  foot  of  the  mound  a  square  was  marked 
out,  of  the  size  the  town  was  to  be;  the  principal  chiefs  took 
up  their  residences  in  it,  and  the  common  people  gathered 
about  them.  Further  on,  Garcilasso '  described  the  town  of 
Guachoule  near  the  source  of  the  Coosa,  not  far  from  the 
country  of  the  Achalaques.  part  of  the  Cherokee  tribe,  in 
which  the  house  of  the  chief  was  erected  on  an  eminence 
terminating  in  a  platform,  on  which  six  men  could  stand  up- 
right. 

The  confirmatory  testimony  of  early  explorers  shows  that 
the  valley  of  the  Mississippi,  as  well  as  the  districts  now 
forming  the  states  of  Ohio,  Florida,  and  Georgia,  was  inhab- 
ited by  warlike  nations,  who  tilled  the  ground,  lived  in  forti- 
fied towns,  erected  their  temples  on  eminences,  often  arti- 
ficial, and  worshipped  the  sun.  These  were  the  men  who 
repulsed  Narvaez  when  he  endeavored  to  conquer  Florida  in 
1528.  It  is  but  fair  to  remark  that  Narvaez'  army  consisted 
of  but  400  foot  soldiers  and  twenty  cavalry,  though  provided 
with  civilized  weapons.  It  was  against  them  that  Hernan- 
dez de  Soto  fought  for  four  years,  giving  them  battle  with 
great  slaughter  in  Florida,  Georgia,  Tennessee,  Mississippi, 
Alabama,  and  Arkansas.  Everywhere  he  found  a  numerous 
population.  The  towns  were  surrounded  with  walls  of  earth, 
and  towers  strengthened  the  broad  trenches  which  completed 
the  defences.  At  Pascha,  west  of  the  Mississippi,  for 
instance,  the  Spaniards  found  a  fortified   town   surrounded 

'  "  Hist,  i-le  la  Conqucte  de  la  Floride,  ou  Relation  de  ce  qui  s'  est  passe 
au  voyage  de  Ferdinand  de  Soto  pour  la  Conquete  de  ce  pays."  La  Haye,  1735, 
vol.  I.,  p.  136. 

"  Vol  I.,  p.  294.  See  also  A.  J.  Pickett,  "  History  of  Alabama,"  Charleston, 
1857,  vol.  I.,  p.  8. 


51 

\       ■ 

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ii  ili^ 


if  I 


1/ 

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M  I 


ii    1 


I 

1 1 1! 


190 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


by  a  trench  sufficiently  wide  for  two  canoes  to  float  in  it 
abreast.  This  trench  was  nine  miles  long  and  communicated 
with  the  Mississippi. 

Scjuicr  in  his  turn  tells  of  finding  among  the  Creeks. 
Natchez,  and  other  tribes  of  the  south,  traces  of  structures 
which,  it  they  do  not  exactly  resemble  the  regular  enclos- 
ures of  the  west,  seem  at  least  to  have  some  analogy  with 
them,  and  the  description  we  borrow  from  him  of  the  Chunk 
Yards '  is  certainly  a  fresh  proof  in  favor  of  the  opinion  he 
advances. 

"  The  Chunk  Yards'  are  rectangular  areas,  generally  occu- 
pying the  centre  of  the  town,  enclosed  and  having  an 
entrance  at  each  end.  The  public  square  and  rotunda,  or 
great  winter  council-house,  stand  at  the  t'vo  opposite  corners 
of  them.  They  are  generally  very  extensive,  especially  in 
older  towns.  Some  of  them  are  600  to  900  feet  in  length 
and  of  proportionate  breadth.  The  area  is  levelled,  and  sunk 
two,  or  sometimes  three  feet  below  the  banks  or  terraces 
surrounding  them,  which  are  occasionally  two  in  number, 
one  behind  and  above  the  other,  and  composed  of  earth 
taken  from  the  area  at  the  time  of  its  formation.  These 
banks  or  terraces  served  the  purpose  of  scats  for  spectators. 
In  the  centre  of  the  yard  or  area  there  is  a  low  circular 
mound  or  eminence,  in  the  middle  of  which  stands  the 
'Chunk  Pole,'  which  is  a  high  obelisk  or  four-square  pillar, 
tai)ering  upward  to  an  obtuse  point.     This  is  of  wood,  the 

'  "  Ancient  MonumL'iits  of  the  Missis>ippi  Valley,"  p.  121. 

'  Their  name  is  (K-rivfil  from  an  Indian  jjame.  Catlin  describes  it  among 
the  Mandans  ami  gives  it  the  name  of  'rdiungkee  ("  Illustrations  of  the 
Manner-^,  Customs,  and  Conditions  of  the  North  American  Indians,"  London, 
1866,  vol  I.,  p.  132).  Adair  had  already  described  the  Chung  kee  among  the 
Cherokees  ('  Hist,  of  ihe  Am.  Indians,"  London,  1775,  p.  401).  Jones  met 
wiih  the  same  gime  among  the  Indians  of  the  South  ("Antiquities  of  the 
Souiiiern  Indians"),  and  Bartram  among  those  of  Carolina.  Carr  gives  an 
illustration  of  a  carefully  polished  sandstone  of  elliptical  form  measuring  about 
four  inches  at  its  widest  part  and  nearly  two  and  three  fourths  thick.  This 
stone  was  found  under  Ely  Mound,  Virginia,  and  similar  ones  have  been  met 
with  in  various  places.  They  are  supposed  to  have  been  used  in  the  favorite 
game  of  the  Indians. 


POTTERY,    WEAPONS,  AXD  ORNAMENTS. 


191 


fig 

tie 


heart  or  inward  resinous  part  of  a  sound  pine-tree,  which  is 
very  durable.  It  is  generally  from  thirty  to  forty  feet  in 
length,  and  to  the  top  is  fastened  some  object  which  serves 
as  a  mark  to  shoot  at,  with  arrows  or  the  rifle,  at  ceitain 
appointed  times.  Near  each  corner  of  one  end  of  the  yard 
stands  erect  a  smaller  pole  or  pillar,  about  twelve  feet  high, 
called  the  '  Slave  Post,'  for  the  reason  that  to  them  are 
bound  the  captives  condemned  to  be  burned.  These  posts 
are  usually  decorated  with  the  scalps  of  slain  enemies,  sus- 
pended by  strings  from  the  top.  They  are  often  crowned 
with  the  white  dry  skull  of  an  enemy."  *  *  *  *  *  Fur- 
ther on  the  same  author  describes  "  a  circular  eminence,  at 
one  end  of  the  };ird,  commonly  nine  t)r  ten  feet  higher  than 
the  ground  round  about.  Ujion  this  mound  stands  the 
great  rotunda,  hot-house,  or  winter  council-house,  of  the 
present  Creeks.  It  was  probably  designed  and  used  by  the 
ancients  who  constructed  it  for  the  same  purpose.  '^  *  '^ 
A  square  terrace  or  eminence,  about  the  same  height  with 
the  circular  one  just  described,  occupies  a  position  at  the 
other  end  of  the  yard.  Upon  this  stands  the  Public  Square."  ' 
Recent  discoveries  confirm  this  account."  Under  a  coni- 
cal mound  measuring  19  feet  high  by  300  feet  in  circum- 
ference at  the  base,  in  Lee  county,  Virginia,  were  found  a 
number  of  posts  of  cedar  wood,  arranged  at  regular  intervals 
so  as  to  form  a  circle,  with  a  much  higher  one  in  the  centre 
doubtless  intended  to  hold  up  the  roof  or  covering.  This 
was  the  council-chamber,  the  assembly-room,  of  the  tribe, 
greatly  resembling  that  of  which  Bartram,  quoted  above, 
writing  in  the  last  century,  gives  a  description.  "The 
council  or  town  house,"  he  says,  speaking  A  that  of  the 
Cherokees,  "  is  a  large  rotunda,  capable  of  accommodating 

'  Tliesc  cxlracls,  which  are  taken  from  Sijuier  and  Davis'  "Ancient  Monu- 
ments of  the  Mississippi  Valley,"  pp.  121-123,  are  in  reality  (|uolations  by  tliese 
authors,  taken  with  others  from  a  MS.  by  W.  Harlrani,  author  of  ''  Travels  in 
North  and  South  Carolina."  "The  Ancient  Monuments  of  the  Mississippi 
Valley"  will  be  found  in  vol.  I.  of  the  "  .Smithsonian  Contributions  to  Know- 
ledge," published  by  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  at  Washington,  in  1848. 

"  "  Report  of  Peabody  Museum,"  vol.  II.  p.  75,  etc. 


^1 


M 


t\ 


!l   ' 


192 


PKE-mS  TOKIC  A  ME  RICA . 


!i. 


h\s. 


several  hundred  people  ;  it  stands  on  the  top  of  an  ancient 
artificial  mount  of  about  twenty  feet  perpendicular,  and  the 
rotunda  on  the  top  of  it  being  about  thirty  feet  more  gives 
the  whole  fabric  an  elevation  of  about  fifty  feet  from  the 
common  surface  of  the  ground  ;  but  it  may  be  proper  to  ob- 
serve that  this  mount,  on  which  the  rotunda  stands,  is  of  a 
much  more  ancient  date  than  the  building,  and  perhaps  was 
raised  for  another  purpose.  The  Cherokecs  themselves  are  as 
ignorant  as  we  are  as  to  by  what  people  or  for  what  purpose 
these  artificial  hills  were  raised  ;  they  have  various  stories 
concerning  them." 

The  Indians  of  the  South  then  not  only  used  the  ancient 
mounds  for  the  houses  of  their  chiefs,  or  for  their  council- 
chambers,  but  they  also  erected  similar  mounds  in  their  own 
chunk  yards.  These  facts  greatly  modified  Squicr's  first 
impressions,  and  led  him,  as  he  himself  tells  us,  to  a  conclu- 
sion he  little  expected  when  he  began  his  researches.  In  his 
last  studies  he  decided  that  the  earthworks  in  the  western 
portion  of  the  state  of  New  York  were  erected  by  the 
Iroquois,  and  that  their  erection  only  preceded  their  discov- 
ery by  a  short  time.  He  adds,  it  is  true,  that  in  the  16th 
ccntur-  there  was  not  a  single  Indian  tribe  between  the  At- 
lantic and  the  Pacific,  except  the  half-civilized  people  of  the 
South,  who  had  sufficient  means  of  subsistence  to  be  able 
to  give  up  time  to  unproductive  labor  ;  nor  was  there  one 
tribe  in  such  a  social  condition  as  would  admit  of  the  com- 
pulsory erection  by  the  people  of  the  structures  under  no- 
tice. Subsequent  researches  have  removed  many  of  the 
supposed  difficulties,  and  are  well  summarized  by  Lucien 
Carr  in  the  paper  from  which  we  have  already  quoted. 

Southall  dwells  on  the  facts  which  seem  to  him  to  prove, 
not  only  an  Indian  origin  for  the  mounds,  but  also  their  re- 
cent construction.'  His  work  describes  the  Iroquois  gov- 
ernment which  included  five  nations.  These  were  the 
Mohawks,  also  called  in  some  French  narratives  the  Agniers, 
the  Oneidas,  the  Onondagas,  the  Cayugas,  and  the  Senecas,  or 

'  "  Recent  Origin  of  Man,"  cli.  xxxvi.,  p.  530  et  seq. 


POTTERY,    WEAPONS,  ^ND  ORNAMENTS. 


193 


Tsonontouas.  According  to  the  Jesuit  fathers  these  nations 
numbered  in  1665,  2340  warriors  or  altogether  11,700  souls, 
according  to  the  generally  accepted  method  of  estimating 
such  populations. 

They  devoted  themselves  to  agriculture,  and  were  able 
for  nearly  two  centuries  to  maintain  their  independence 
against  the  Dutch  and  French.  Their  territory  stretched 
from  the  St.  Lawrence  to  Tennessee  and  Ohio;  they  were 
not  ignorant  of  navigation,  and  early  travellers  report  having 
seen  their  canoes  as  far  southeast  as  Chesapeake  Bay.  Since 
then  they  have  given  up  their  nomad  habits  and  we  have 
some  very  exact  descriptions  of  their  villages  and  dwellings.' 

It  was  the  same  in  many  other  parts  of  the  country. 
Strachey,  travelling  in  Virginia  at  the  beginning  of  the 
17th  century,"  relates  that  he  found  the  Indians  liv- 
ing in  houses  made  of  wood,  cultivating  maize  and  tobacco, 
and  harvesting  peas,  kidney-beans,  and  fruit.  The  Mandans, 
dwelling  on  the  upper  Missouri,  not  far  from  the  mouth  of 
the  Yellowstone  River,  dug  out  earth  for  a  depth  of  about 
two  feet,  and  built  their  huts  in  the  hollows  thus  obtained. 
These  huts,  which  were  of  circular  form,  made  of  solid  ma- 
terials and  roofed  in  with  turf,  were  from  about  thirty  to 
forty  feet  in  diameter.  Several  families  lived  together;  the 
beds,  which  were  ranged  round  the  circular  walls,  had  cur- 
tains of  dressed  deer-skin.  The  Iroquois,  Natchez,  Dela- 
wares,  and  Indians  of  Florida  and  Louisiana  made  vases,  the 
ornamentation  and  delicacy  of  which  were  not  in  any  way 
inferior  to  the  pottery  of  the  Mound  Builders,  and  the  curi- 
ous pipes,  of  which  we  have  spoken,  are  met  with  among  the 
Indians  of  the  present  day. 

Lastly,  two  centuries  ago,  when  French  missionaries  first 
visited  the  districts  bordering  on  Lake  Superior,  the  Chip- 
pewas  used  copper  weapons  and  tools.  These  facts,  with 
many  others  which  might  be  quoted,  would  appear  to  justify 

'  See  especially  the  account  by  Greenhalgh  who  visited  several  Seneca  villages 
ill  1677,  and  Morgan's  "  League  of  the  Iroquois." 
"  "  Historie  of  Travailc  into  Virginia  Britannia"  (written  in  1618). 


f,  V 


!   Hi 


h\s^ 


m 


PRE-iriSTORIC  AMERICA. 


a  belief  that  the  Indians  once  possessed  a  civilization  supe- 
rior to  the  condition  to  which  their  descendants  have  been 
reduced  by  defeat,  invasion,  indulgence  in  too  much  alcohol, 
and  other  causes. 

We  have  given  a  summary  of  the  different  opinions  held, 
and  have  stated  the  conclusions  to  which  they  lead  most 
modern  anthropologists.  Some  discussion  of  the  physical 
characters  of  these  races  may  be  useful.  The  Indians  of 
America  have  been  held  to  form  a  distinct  variety  of  the 
human  race.  Their  skin  is  swarthy,  varying  from  the  pale 
olive  to  a  warm  brown,  often  with  a  bright  color  on  the 
cheeks.  The  stories  of  their  copper-colored  complexion  are, 
at  least  in  North  America,  due  to  the  ridiculous  miscon- 
ception of  the  early  voyagers  who  took  no  account  of  the 
reddish  paint  with  which  they  were  smeared.  Like  the 
whites,  their  complexion  is  darkened  or  burned  b)'  the  sun, 
sometimes  to  a  considerable  degree,  but  nobody  ever  saw 
a  naturall)'  copper-colored  American  Indian  ;  their  hair  is 
black  and  wiry  and  almost  invariably  straight :  their  e\-esare 
black  or  very  dark-brown  ;  their  lips  are  thick  or  thin,  ac- 
cording to  the  tribe  or  individual  ;  their  forehead  is  com- 
paratively low  ;  their  face  is  geiierall\-  long  with  high  cheek- 
bones ;  their  hands  and  feet  are  small  and  often  delicate!)- 
made.  These  characteristic  traits  have  rarely  been  known 
to  vary  during  the  three  centuries  in  which  they  have  been 
in  contact  with  the  whites,  but  marked  differences  occur  be- 
tween the  various  tribes  as  to  physiognomy,  physique,  tem- 
perament, personal  attractiveness,  and  tint  of  complexion. 
This  has  been  observed  by  all  students  of  the  Indians  who 
have  been  fortunate  enough  to  have  wide  experience  among 
them.  Much  stress  has  been  placed  on  supposed  funda- 
mental differences  between  the  bones  of  the  Mound  Builders 
and  those  of  other  American  races.  These  differences  were 
more  apparent  while  the  material  was  scanty,  and  tend  to 
disappear  as  we  come  to  know  more  of  the  Indians  of  vari- 
ous parts  of  America,  and  to  have  larger  mound  material  for 
comparison.     It  has  been  said  that  the  Mound  Builders  are 


POTTERY,    WEAPONS,   AND  ORNAMENTS. 


195 


characterized  by  a  general  conformation  which  places  them 
apart  amongst  human  races,  and  differentiates  them  espe- 
cially from  the  Indians  of  North  America.  For  myself, 
however,  I  do  not  attach  as  much  importance  as  do  some 
eminent  anthropologists  to  differences  between  bones, 
especially  the  bones  of  skulls.  Too  often  we  find  beneath 
the  same  mound,  dating  from  contemporaneous  burials, 
amidst  similar  stone  implements  and  pieces  of  pottery, 
brachycephalic  and  dolichocephalic  skulls,  skulls  of  the 
Caucasian,  and  skulls  of  almost  negroid  type.  All  varieties, 
from  extreme  long  heads  to  rounded  or  nearly  square  heads 
have  been  found  among  undoubted  Eskimo  crania.'  The 
external  conformation  of  the  heads  can  only  be  guessed  at, 
and  therefore  any  conclusion  might  turn  out  to  be  pre- 
mature. 

Moreover,  however  true  these  assertions  may  be,  there  are, 
as  \vc  have  previously  intimated,  Indians  and  Indians.  The 
Indians  of  the  north  should  not  be  confounded  with  those 
met  with  by  the  Conquistadores  in  the  south,  and  who  were 
certainly  in  a  much  more  advanced  state  of  culture.  It  may 
be  supposed  that  the  wild  tribes  from  the  north  and  the 
northwest  first  drove  '  the  mound-building  people  from 
Illinois  and  Indiana;  that  those  of  Ohio,  protected  by  a 
solid  line  of  fortified  camps  or  villages,  offered  a  more 
efficacious  resistance,  but  that  they,  in  their  turn,  were 
driven  beyond  the  Mississippi ;  that  the  struggle  went  on  in 
Kentucky  rnd  Tennessee,  until  the  day  when  the  remnants 
of  this  ancient  people  were  driven  back  to  the  districts 
bordering  on  the  Gulf,  where  the  vanquished  were  gradually 
merged  with  the  conquerors,  and  that  thus  united  they 
contended  bravely  and  often  with  success  against  a  foreign 
yoke." 

Perhaps  too  it  may  be  possible  to  meet  with  traces  of 

'  We  have  mentioned  numerous  facts  leading  to  a  similar  conclusion  in  Eu- 
rope. See,  also,  "  Les  premiers  hommes  et  les  temps  pre-historiques,"  vol. 
I.,  ch.  iii.,  and  vol.  II.,  ch.  xii. 

"Force:  A  quelle  race  appartenaient  les  Mound  Builders  ("Cong,  des 
Americanistes,"  Luxembourg,  vol.  I.,  p.  121.) 


\  Ul 


r 

I, 
f  i 

>•       1 

■i    ■ 

ii 

\i 

f 

1 

ii 

.  M, 


196 


PRE.HISTOKIC  AMERICA. 


people  akin  to  the  Mound  Builders  amongst  the  Aztecs, 
whose  stone  teocallis  resemble  the  conical  mounds  in  form, 
and  amongst  the  Mayas,'  of  whose  remarkable  monuments 
wc  shall  presently  speak,  and  who  also  had  to  contend  with 
formidable  enemies." 

There  can  be  no  doubt  whatever  that  tribes  who  were 
builders  of  mounds  lived  in  Central  America  for  centuries, 
but  we  have  no  chronological  scale  by  which  we  can  estimate 
the  duration  of  their  residence  there,  still  less  determine 
a  definite  emigration  to  or  arrival  in  the  valleys  of  the 
Mississippi  or  of  the  Missouri.  The  trees  growing  from  the 
mounds  of  Ohio  are  rarely  more  than  one  or  two  hundred 
years  old  ;  while  in  the  valleys  of  Florida  and  on  the  shores 
of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  the)'  are  not  even  so  old  as  that.  One 
conclusion  may  be  drawn  :  that  the  mounds  had  been 
abandoned  when  they  became  overgrown  with  trees.  But 
were  these  trees  the  successors  of  others,  and  can  we  say  how 
many  generations  have  disappeared  since  the  erection  of  the 
mounds,  or  whether  the  latter  were  generally  contempo- 
raneous? We  were  met  by  a  similar  problem  in  dealing 
with  the  shell  heaps  and  we  can  only  give  a  similar  an- 
swer. 

From  the  mounds  themselves  we  can  learn  nothing.  A 
lapse  of  thirty  centuries  or  of  five  would  account  equally 
well  for  the  development  of  the  civilization  they  represent. 
Stronck  ascribes  the  erection  of  some  of  the  mounds  to  the 
earliest  days  of  our  own  era,  and  thinks  that  some  of  them 
must  have  been  abandoned  between  the  sixth  and  twelfth 


'Robertson  speaks  of  having  disinterred  a  considerable  number  of  Mound 
Builders'  skulls,  and  says  that  they  have  in  every  case  been  of  a  type  somewhat 
resembling  that  of  ihe  natives  of  Yucatan  ("  Congres  des  Americanistes,"  Luxem- 
bourg, 1877,  vol.  1.,  p.  43.) 

'  The  examinations  of  the  organic  and  monumental  remains,  and  of  the  works 
of  art  of  the  aborigines  of  Tennessee,  by  Dr.  Jones,  in  his  opinion  establish 
the  fact  that  they  were  not  the  relics  of  the  nomadic  and  hunting  tribes  of 
Indians  such  as  many  known  to  exist  at  the  time  of  the  first  explorations  by  the 
white  race  ;  but  on  the  contrary  that  they  are  the  remains  of  a  people  more 
closely  related  to  but  not  identical  with  the  aborigines  of  Mexico  and  Central 
America,  "  Smithsonian  Contr.,"  vol.  XXII.,  p.  88. 


POTTEKY,    IV K.  I  PONS,   AND  Oh'NAA/ENTS. 


197 


I 


centuries.'  The  margin,  it  is  evident,  is  wide.  Force,"  in  fix- 
ing on  the  seventh  century  as  the  most  flourishing  period  of 
these  people,  and  Helhvald,'  in  making  tliem  contemporary 
with  Charlemagne,  would  appear  to  endorse  to  some  extent 
the  hypothesis  of  Stronck.  Short,  in  an  excellent  work 
on  the  North  American  Indians,  tells  us  that  one  or  at 
the  most  two  thousand  years  only  can  have  elapsed  since  the 
Mound  Builders  were  compelletl  to  abandon  the  valleys 
of  the  Ohio  and  its  tributaries,  and  but  seven  or  eight  hundred 
since  tiiey  retired  from  the  shores  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 
Lastly  the  early  explorers  found  mounds  occupied  and  even 
being  constructed  within  the  last  few  hundred  years.  So  we 
must  content  ourselves  with  the  conclusion  that,  whatever 
the  period  of  their  initiation,  it  is  probable  that  what  maybe 
called  the  epoch  of  mound-building,  but  recently  terminated, 
has  bccri  of  very  long  duration.  These  estimates,  divergent 
as  they  are,  may  serve  to  give  some  idea  of  our  ignorance 
in  regard  to  the  actual  anticpiity  of  these  ruins. 

One  thing  is  certain,  no  excavations  of  the  mounds  up  to 
this  date  (1883)  have  yielded  a  single  bone  of  those  gigantic 
pachyderms,  those  extraordinary  edentate  creatures  which 
frecpiently  occur  in  earlier  epochs.  Must  we  not  therefore 
conclude  that  these  animals  were  extinct  before  the  times  of 
the  Mound  liuilders?  One  of  the  mounds,  however  (fig. 
36),  as  already  stated,  is  claimed  to  represent  a  mastodon, 
and  some  pipes  from  Iowa  to  represent  elejjhants  (fig.  72); 
and  if  these  highly  problematical  assumptions  are  correct,  one 
might  presume  that  the  Mound  Builders  knew,  at  least  by 
tradition,  of  the  animals  they  imitated  ;  but  this  point,  like 
so  many  others,  is  still  very  obscure,  and  not  free  from  com- 
plications due  to  fraudulent  recently  manufactured"  relics." 

We  must  await  in  the  future  what  the  present  cannot 
give  us ;  and  meanwhile  be  on  our  guard  against  brilliant 
hypotheses,  startling  guesses,  and  over-rash  conclusions. 

'Repertoire    chronologique    de   I'hist.   des   Mound   Builders,    "Cong,   des 
Americ.,"  Luxembourg,  1877,  vol.  I.,  p.  312. 

'  A  quelle  race  apparlenaient  des  Mound  Builders. 

*"  Cong,  des  Atnericanistes,"  Luxembourg,  vol.  L,  p.  50. 


'* 


M 


II  I-' 


V  1 


^*.  • . 


f  ^ 


i 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE    CLIFF    DWELLERS    AND     THE    INHABITANTS    OF    THE 

PUEBLOS. 

The  nineteenth  century,  now  approaching  its  decline,  has 
played  a  grand  r61e  in  the  history  of  humanity,  and  never 
have  such  great  things  been  accomplished  with  such  marvel- 
lous rapidity.  We  justly  count  amongst  those  who  have 
had  a  glorious  share  in  the  common  work,  the  bold  travel- 
lers who  have  opened,  or  arc  opening,  up  whole  conti- 
nents to  civilization  and  progress.  In  America,  as  in  Africa 
and  Asia,  the  pioneers  of  science  daily  announce  new  dis- 
coveries. The  vast  regions  of  California,  Arizona,  New 
Mexico.  Nevada,  Colorado,  and  Utah,  were,  a  few  years  ago, 
absolutely  unknown.  They  arc  now  intersected  with  rail- 
ways; commerce  and  industry  will  shortly  possess  the  land  ; 
populous  towns  have  sprung  up,  and  new  states  contribute 
to  the  development  of  the  United  States,  and  the  greatness 
of  this  people,  youngest  born  of  the  nations,  which  is  un- 
doubtedly predestined  to  play  an  important  part  in  the  fu- 
ture history  of  the  world. 

While  awaiting  the  brilliant  future  of  the  states  recently 
or  to  be  admitted  to  the  Union,  we  have  to  cross  much  half 
desert,  rude,  and  desolate  region  where  the  trees,  chiefly 
pines,  are  rare  and  stunted,  the  vegetation  is  feeble  and 
meagre,  and  nature  would  at  first  sight  appear  to  be  doomed 
to  eternal  solitude.  The  very  wild  animals  have  almost 
deserted  these  dreary  wastes  which  are  only  haunted  by 
wandering  Indians,  perhaps  the  wildest  and  most  barbarous 
of  all  the  existing  aborigines  of  North  America,  who  not 
long  since  would  flee  at  the  approach  of  the  traveller  unless 
they  felt  themselves  strong  enough  to  rob  him.  We  must 
cross  the  San  Juan  river  to  reach  the  alluvial  districts  des- 

19S 


THE  CUFF  DWELLERS. 


199 


tined  doubtless  to  yield  a  harvest  so  rich  that  it  is  impossible 
to  overestimate  its  importance. 

Things  were  different  here  in  the  past.     These  caflons,  as 


Fig.  86.— a  Caflon  of  the  Colorado. 


are  called  the  narrow  gorges  shut  in  between  perpendicular 
rocks  (fig.  86)  with  their  deep  ravines,  these  arid  valleys 


^mM&M^^^SSs 


i;. 


200 


PRE'HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


covered  with  brushwood  rarely  more  than  a  few  feet  high, 
this  dreary  lifeless  nature,  presents  a  most  striking  contrast 
with  the  ruins  that  rise  up  at  every  turn,  bearing  witness 
that  for  centuries,  which  it  is  impossible  to  estimate,  these 
countries  were  inhabited  by  a  numerous,  active,  and  intelli- 
gent population.  In  many  man  has  built  houses,  fortifica- 
tions, reservoirs,  forming  true  cities;  the  very  rocks  arc 
adorned  with  painted  or  sculptured  figures ;  everywhere  man 
has  left  behind  him  indelible  marks  of  his  presence. 

The  Spanish,  who  were  the  first  to  cross  Central  America,' 
gave  the  name  of  pueblo,  which  signifies  a  market-town  or 
village,  to  groups  of  buildings,  a  great  number  of  which,  pre- 
senting every  appearance  of  great  antiquity,  were  already  in 
ruins  at  the  time  of  their  victorious  march.  These  buildings 
are  found  in  the  valleys  drained  by  the  San  Juan,  Rio  Grande 
del  Norte,  Colorado  Chiquito,  and  their  tributaries  for  an 
area  of  two  hundred  thousand  square  miles.'  The  earliest 
inhabitants  whose  traces  can  be  recognized  evidently  fol- 
lowed these  valleys  in  their  forward  march,  halting  here  and 
there  where  the  soil  was  fertile,  to  be  driven  away  by  new- 
comers, who,  like  themselves,  were  seeking  water  and  pas- 
turage. The  struggle  for  existence  is  a  universal  law  written 
in  every  country  in  letters  of  blood. 

Cabe^ade  Vaca  speaks  of  some  pueblos  in  ruins  and  others 
still  inhabited  * ;  many  he  says  were  larger  than  the  town  of 
Mexico.  The  houses,  often  consisting  of  several  stories,  one 
behind  the  other  as  in  our  illustration  (fig.  87),  were  of  stone. 
The  inhabitants  lived  in  the  upper  stories,*  and  the  ground 
floor,  generally  dark,  served  as  a  storeroom  for  food  and 
fodder.  These  basements  are  known  amongst  the  Spanish 
as  Casas  de  comodidad  or  Almacenas  (see  Castafieda  de  Na- 
gera,  Rclacion  de  voy:  de  Cibola).     The  upper  stories  were 

•New  Mexico  was  finally  subdued  in  1597  and  1598  by  Don  Juan  de  Oliaic. 
The  first  Spanish  expedition  took  place  in  1540,  under  Cabe^a  de  Vaca,  ship- 
wrecked on  the  shores  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  in  1535. 

"Barber,  "Cong,  des  Americanistes,"  Luxembourg,  1877,  vol.  I.,  p.  25. 

• "  Quarta  Relacion     •    •    •    CoUecion  de  Documentos,"  vol.  II.,  p.  475.. 

♦Putnam,  "  Bull,  of  the  Essex  Institute,"  Dec,  1880. 


'— ■--  I  I  I.  I  111,1    ilJWl<W>.>»«»-^^i' 


XrVj9ffl.Hi.iVTi''    \  ni'liK*^ '^"f"''T.iii'iSiiS 


THE   CUFF  DlVELLEtiX 


201 


reached  by  means  of  ladders,  and  when  these  ladders  were 
drawn  up  the  occupiers  enjoyed  comparative  security,  and 
could  defend  themselves  from  attacks  which  must  have  been 
frequent  enough  judging  from  the  countless  quartz,  obsid- 
ian, and  agate  arrow-points  found  everywhere  about  these 
dwellings. 

The  buildings  were  nearly  all  of  considerable  size,  and  we 
shall  describe  some  large  enough  to  lodge  several  hundred 
families.  Some,  as  the  Taos  pueblo  (fig  87),  were  situated 
in  the  valley  and  were  occasionally  surrounded  by  a  wall 
completing  the  defences  ;  others,  as  the  Pueblo  of  Acoma  for 
instance,'  which  is  supposed  to  have  occupied  the  site  of  the 
present  village  of  Arvco,  rises  from  several  plateaux  or  ter- 


FiG.  87. — Pueblo  of  Taos,  New  Mexico. 

races  called  mesas,  often  situated  several  hundred  feet  above 
the  valley,  and  only  to  be  reached  by  all  but  impracticable 
paths.  We  can  imagine  the  astonishment  of  the  explorers 
when  they  saw  all  these  ruins  rising  before  them.  "  Im- 
agine," says  a  recent  traveller,  "  the  dry  bed  of  a  river  shut 
in  between  steep  inaccessible  rocks  of  red  sand-stone,  and  a 
man  standing  in  that  bed  looking  up  at  the  habitations  of 
his  fellow-creatures  perched  on  every  ledge.  Such  is  the 
scene  spread  out  before  us  at  every  step."  Another  travel- 
ler speaks  of  the  evident  proofs  of  a  considerable  population 

'  Y'  hallamos  a  un  pueblo  que  se  llama  Acoma,  donde  nos  parecio  habria 
mas  de  seis  mil  animas.  Antonio  de  Espeja,  "  Carta,"  23d  April,  1584.  Doc 
ineditos  del  archive  de  Indias,  vol.  XV.,  p.  179. 


nii 


I  I 


I 


II 


11 


P 
i. 


m 


M 


•202 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


having  lived  in  these  deserts,  adding  that  there  was  not  one 
of  the  six  miles  he  had  to  explore  that  did  not  afford  certain 
proof  of  having  been  inhabited  for  a  considerable  length  of 
time  by  men  absolutely  distinct  from  and  certainly  superior 
to  the  wandering  savages  who  alone  traverse  them  now.' 

Lastly,  to  quote  another  of  the  many  accounts,  Major 
Powell,  United  States  geologist,  expresses  his  surprise  at 
seeing  nothing  for  whole  days  but  perpendicular  cliffs  every- 
where riddled  with  human  habitations,  which  resemble  the 
cells  of  a  honeyjomh  more  than  anything  else. 

In  these  districts,  now  nearly  uninhabited,  dwelt  numer- 
ous people  to  whom  has  been  given  the  name  of  Cliff  Dwel- 
lers, from  the  rocks  in  which  they  made  their  homes. 

One  point  we  can  pronounce  upon  with  certainty :  we 
know  beyond  a  dnubt  one  of  the  chief  causes  of  the  depopu- 
lation of  the  country  to  be  the  diminished  rainfall.  The 
rainfall  is  very  unequal  in  the  United  States.  It  averages 
about  three  feet  on  the  Atlantic  coast  from  Maine  to  Florida. 
On  the  slopes  of  the  Pacific,  north  of  San  Francisco,  the 
west  winds  bring  very  abundant  rains,  the  avciage  reaching 
some  four  feet.  From  the  coasts  of  the  Atlantic,  and  from 
the  delta  of  the  Mississippi,  the  quantity  of  rain  ^,, 'dually 
diminishes  as  the  interior  of  the  country  is  approached.  In 
some  parts  of  Texas,  Kansas,  and  Nebraska,  the  average 
rainfall  of  the  year  diminishes  t.)  a  foot  and  a  half,  and  in 
parts  of  Colorado  it  is  even  considerably  less.  The  very 
small  rainfall  watering  all  the  districts  between  the  plains  of 
the  far  West  and  the  Pacific  coasts  explains  the  poverty  of 
the  vegetation. 

The  rivers,  the  very  screams,  are  dried  up,  and  we  only  find 
in  the  valleys  the  traces,  already  ancient,  of  dried-up  water- 
courses. 

The  rains  of  spring  arc  of  short  duration,  but  plentiful. 
They  pour  down  upon  an  impermeable  soil  with  a  rocky 
foundation,  forming  impetuous  torrents  known  as  washes. 
At  certain  times  and  places  these  washes  rise  to  a  height  of 

'Holmes  :  "Report  on  the  Ancient  Ruins  of  S.  W.  Colorado,  examined 
•during  the  summers  of  1875  ^'"^'  1876." 


THE   CLIFF  DWELLERS. 


-JOS 


thirty  to  forty  feet,  carrying  everything  before  them  and 
often  causing  inundations.  After  these  torrents  the  water 
does  not  long  remain  in  the  arroyos,  but  evaporates  with 
great  rapidity,  xxt  other  seasons  rain  is  unknown,  and  the 
intense  heat  of  the  climate  adds  to  the  effect  of  this  constant 
aridity.  Can  it  be  attributed  to  geological  or  climatic 
changes  ?  Possibly  it  may,  and  Colonel  Hoffman  mentions 
an  arroyo  forty  feet  above  the  present  level  of  the  water 
about  fifteen  miles  from  the  town  of  Prescott,  Arizona.  This 
is  a  curious  fact,  but  it  should  be  corroborated  by  many  oth- 
ers before  so  important  a  decision  can  be  arrived  at,  and  it  is 
possible  that,  as  in  Algeria,  one  cause  of  the  persistent  aridity 
was  the  reckless  destruction  of  forests  by  the  Cliff  Dwellers. 

Holmes,  one  of  the  first  to  study  the  ruins  of  the  Far 
West,  on  a  truly  scientific  method,  adopts  the  following 
classification,  which  it  will  be  useful  to  quote.' 

I.  Lowland  villages,  in  which  dwelt  the  purely  agricultural 
classes,  the  sites  chosen  being  always  in  the  most  fertile  val- 
'ey  and  close  to  rivers. 

n.  Cavc-DwcUings,  caves  artificially  enlarged,  often  closed 
and  strengthened  .vith  adobes  or  bricks  of  kneaded  clay 
dried  in  the  sun,  such  as  are  still  used  by  the  Indians  for 
building  their  huts. 

HI.  Cliff-Houses,  true  fortresses  to  which  the  people  of 
the  valleys  probably  retired  when  danger  threatened. 

The  habitations  in  the  valleys  are  regular  pueblos  ;  they 
form  parallelograms  or  circles  marked  out,  where  the  nature 
of  the  ground  permitted,  with  great  regularity.  All  are 
built  of  stone  carefully  laid,  and  the  crevices  genenillj'  filled 
with  clay  and  mud.  The  circular  ruins  met  with  are  some- 
times those  of  towers  used  as  defences  or  buildings  sixty  feet 
or  more  in  diameter,  enclosing  several  series  of  little  apart- 
ments with  one  in  the  centre  often  half  under  ground,  to 
which  the  Spaniards  have  given  the  name  of  estufas,  mean- 
ing literally  stove  or  sweating-room,  in  reference  to  their  use 
'is  hot  air  bath-rooms  or  sweat-houses. 


'  L.  c.  p.  5.  See  also  Jackson:  "  Ruins  of  S.  W.  Colorado  in  1875  and  1877." 


ilt 


f 

''  :t:!l 


204 


PRE-niS  TORIC  A  M ERICA . 


'  .■  i 


f: 


V  ' 


The  cstufas  have  been  much  discussed.  Some  think  they 
were  council-chambers  where  the  chiefs  of  the  tribe  met  to 
discuss  public  affairs  ;  others  look  upon  them  as  spots  con- 
secrated for  the  presence  of  the  sacred  fire,  so  long  the  ob- 
ject of  veneration  to  the  Indians.'  Others  think  the  estufas 
were  wells,  but  the  testimony  of  Ruiz  settles  the  question. 
Mariano  Ruiz  lived  for  a  long  time  amongst  the  Pecos  In- 
dians as  a  son  of  the  tribe  {f/ijo  del  Pueblo),  and  he  relates 
that  these  Indians  preserved  the  sacred  fire  in  an  estufas 
until  1840,  when  the  five  families  who  alone  survived  became 
affiliated  with  another  tribe.  The  fire  was  kept  in  a  kind  of 
oven  and  was  never  allowed  to  emit  fHames.  Ruiz  himself 
was  in  his  turn  charged  to  keep  it  up  but  he  refused,  influ- 
enced by  the  superstitious  fear  of  the  Indians,  that  he  who 
should  leave  his  brethren  after  having  watched  over  the 
sacred  fire  would  inevitably  perish  within  the  year.  On  ac- 
count of  his  refusal  he  was  never  allowed  to  enter  estufas." 
It  is  certain  that  these  estufas  occur  in  all  habitations,  even 
in  those  situated  above  precipices,  or  on  rocks  not  to  be 
.scaled  without  extreme  difficult)',  so  that  it  is  evident  that 
great  importance  was  attached  to  them  by  the  inhabitants  of 
the  pueblos.  In  New  Mexico  and  Colorado  estufas  are  still 
met  with,  even  in  Christian  villages,  where  they  are  looked 
upon  with  superstitious  terror,  perhaps  as  a  last  relic  of  the 
mysterious  rites  practised  by  the  ancestors  of  the  inhabi- 
tants." 

Besides  the  towers  rising  from  the  midst  of  the  pueblo 
there  are  others  generally  round,  rarely  square  or  oblong 
(fig.  88),  set  up  on  points  commanding  a  wide  view,  or  at  the 
entrances  of  caftons.     It  is  evident  that  these  were  posts  of 

'  "  These  estufas,  which  are  used  as  places  of  council  and  for  the  perform- 
ance of  their  rehgious  rites,  are  still  found  at  ail  the  present  occupied  pueblos 
in  New  Mexico.  There  are  six  at  Taos  ;  three  at  each  house,  and  tliey  are 
partly  sunk  in  the  ground  by  an  excavation.  They  are  entered  by  a  trap  door- 
way in  the  roof,  the  descent  being  by  a  ladder."  Morgan  :  "  Peabody  Museum 
Report,"  vol.  II.,  p.  547.     Am.  Assco.,  St.  Louis,  1877. 

'  Uandeller,  "  Report  on  the  Ruins  of  the  Pueblo  of  Pecos." — "  Cong.  des. 
Americ,"  Luxembourg,  1877,  vol.  II.,  p.  230. 

'  Simpson,  "  Expedition  to  the  Navajo  Country,"  p.  78. 


THE    CLIFF  DWELLERS. 


205 


observation,  where  sentinels  might  be  always  on  the  watch 
to  warn  the  inhabitants  of  any  impending  danger.  The  site 
of  these  posts  was  always  admirably  chosen  ;  one  of  them 
overlooks  the  whole  of  the  MacElmo  valley,  commanding 
a  view  for  several  miles  up  and  down  ;  another  is  situated  at 
the  spot  where  the  Hovenweep  divides  into  two  branches. 
These  towers  have  neither  doors  nor  windows,  and  could 
doubtless  only  be  entered  from  the  roof. 

Near  some  of  these  dwellings  long  lines  of  walls  have 
been  made  out  varying  from  twelve  to  eighteen  feet  in 
height  and  built  of  adobes  or  simply  of  earth.  These  were 
probably  corrals  or  enclosures  for  cattle.  Evidently  these 
people  were  more  civilized  than  the  Mound  Builders. 

The  cliffs  themselves  consist  of  sedimentary  rocks,  layers 
of  hard  sandstone  very  impervious  to  the  action  of  the  ele- 
ments alternating  with  beds  of  very  friable  rock  containing 
fossil  shells.  The  last-named  beds  have  been  in  part  disinte- 
grated by  atmospheric  action,  and  are  riddled  with  holes 
and  caves  of  every  size,  floored  and  roofed  by  the  sandstone. 
In  other  places  erosion  has  acted  all  along  the  outcrop  of 
the  bed  so  as  to  produce  galleries,  often  of  great  length, 
though  seldom  very  deep.  Here  and  there  a  lofty  promon- 
tory has  been  detached  from  the  main  cliff  and  has  become 
even  more  difificult  of  access  than  the  rest. 

The  early  inhabitants  of  the  region  under  notice  were 
wonderfully  skilful  in  turning  the  result  of  the  natural 
weathering  of  the  rocks  to  account.  To  construct  a  "  cave 
dwelling  "  the  entrance  to  the  cave  or  the  front  of  the  open 
gallery  was  walled  up  with  adobes,  leaving  only  a  small 
opening  serving  for  both  door  and  window. 

The  "cliff  houses"  take  the  form  and  dimensions  of  the 
platform  or  ledge  from  which  they  rise.  The  masonry  is 
well  laid,  and  it  is  wonderful  with  what  skill  the  walls  are 
joined  to  the  cliff  and  with  what  care  the  aspect  of  the 
neighboring  rocks  has  been  imitated  in  the  external  archi- 
tecture. Some  explorers  consider  these  houses  to  be  more 
recent  than  the  pueblos  or  the  caves;  the  few  arrow-points. 


!ll 


T 


Mi! 
Hii 


! 


206 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


1 V 


stone  implements,  and  fragments  of  pottery  which  have 
been  picked  up  do  not  justify  an  expression  of  opinion. 

Several  burial-places  of  the  Cliff  Dwellers  have  been  found, 
but  the  difificulty  attending  their  excavation,  and  the  dangers 
to  which  the  members  of  the  United  States  survey  who 
undertook  it  were  exposed,  have  prevented  any  repetition  of 
their  examination.  Nothing  has  been  found  but  a  few 
human  bones,  with  weapons,  implements,  and  pottery  always 
placed  near  them.  Like  the  Mound  Builders  and  all  the 
ancient  races  of  America,  the  Cliff  Dwellers  were  actuated 
by  a  hope  of  a  future  life  for  their  departed  ones,  as  it 
proved  by  this  provision  for  their  supposed  needs. 

We  must  also  mention  enclosures  of  considerable  extent 
containing  upright  stones  like  the  cromlechs  of  Europe, 
arranged  in  circles.  Excavr.tions  have  been  made  in  one  of 
these  enclosures  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Dolores;  the  original 
soil,  which  had  not  been  displaced,  was  quickly  reached,  and 
rested  on  the  surface  of  the  rock  itself.  At  a  depth  of  six 
inches  was  found  a  layer  of  cinders  mixed  with  fragments  of 
pottery,  but  no  bones  justifying  us  in  supposing  the  enclos- 
ures to  have  been  burial-places,  nor  has  the  chemical  analysis 
of  the  cinders  yielded  any  trace  of  animal  matter,  so  that 
the  idea  of  cremation  is  excluded.' 

Having  enumerated,  in  a  general  way,  the  various  struc- 
tures attributed  to  the  Cliff  Dwellers,  a  few  iletails  respect- 
ing each  will  render  their  importance  clearer. 

The  Rio  Mancos'^  (lows  between  cliffs,  formed  of  alter- 
nate betls  of  cretaceous  limestone  and  a  clayey  deposit,  in 
many  parts  disintegrated  and  worn  away  by  the  action  of 
water.  One  of  the  indentations  thus  formed,  situated  about 
fort}'  feet  above  the  level  of  the  river,  is  between    four  and 

'Jackson,  /.  <.,  jip.  415,  421,  etc. 

'  The  Mancos  rises  in  the  I.a  Plata  mountains,  on  the  southwest  of  the  Col- 
orado, and  flows  into  the  San  Juan.  The  other  tributaries  of  the  San  Juan,  to 
which  we  shall  have  occasion  to  refer,  are  the  La  I'iedra,  Los  I'inos,  Las  Ani- 
mas, La  Plata,  the  MacLlmo,  Ilovenweep,  and  the  Montezuma.  The  two  last 
are  almost  always  dried  up.  On  the  south,  the  San  Juan  receives  the  Navajo, 
Chaco,  and  Chelly. 


'ftiVJf 


Fic.  88. — Tower  near  Epsom  Creek. 


307 


Hi 


I 


It 


1 


I      [ 


t 


(i 


208 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


"<ty. — Cliff-house  on  theRio 
Mancos, 


six  feet  deep.'  In  this  nar- 
row space  the  Cliff  Dwellers 
had  set  up  their  homes. 
Seven  of  these  homes  still 
remain,  four  in  a  sufficiently 
^ood  state  of  preservation 
for  the  mode  of  their  con- 
struction to  be  made  out. 
The  walls  are  of  stones,  ce- 
mented with  clay  mixed  with 
cinders  and  charcoal.'  This 
mortar  was  strengthened  by 
the  insertion,  in  the  intersti- 
ces, of  pebbles  or  little  bits  of 
pottery,  and  to  this  day  wc 
can  make  out  in  this  masonry 
the  marks  of  the  tools  used, 
and  even  the  fingers  of  the 
workmen.  All  the  openings 
are  very  narrow,  and  the 
doors  and  windows  are  only 
a  few  inches  in  width  or 
height.  In  the  midst  of  the 
ruins  a  cellar  was  discovered, 
choked  up  with  a  mass  of 
rubbish,  once  a  store  of  food, 
from  which  half-calcined 
grains  of  maize  have  been 
taken,  of  a  species  still  culti- 
vated in  the  country.  A 
hatchet  of  polished  stone 
and  a  few  fragments  of  pot- 

'  Holmes:  Loc.  cit.,  p.  393,  pi. 
XXXV. 

'  CastafledaC  Voy.  de  Cibola,"  II., 
ch.  iv.,  p.  168),  says:  "They  have 
no  lime,  and  they  replace  it  by  a  mix- 
ture of  cinders,  charcoal,  and  clay." 


-ts^iia  Jfc  "^mf^'^m 


THE  CLIFF  DiVELLERS. 


209 


tery  were  the  only  other  objects  found   in  the  excavations, 
which  had  to  be  rapidly  executed. 

Another  group  (fig.  89),  a  short  distance  from  the  first, 
rises  from  the  indentations  of  the  rock,  which  towers  above 
the  river  to  a  height  of  about  two  hundred  feet.  The  lower 
structures  occupy  a  free  space,  sixty  feet  long  by  about  fif- 
teen feet  at  its  widest  part  (fig.  90).  The  walls  are  about 
one  foot  thick,  and  are  flush  with  the  very  edge  of  the  preci- 
pice. They  are  erected  with  skill,  the  angles  are  regular, 
the  lines  do  not  diverge  from  the  perpendicular,  and,  when 
the  difficulties  the  builder  had  to  contend  with  in  laying  his 
foundations  in  such  a  position  and  at  such  a  height  are  taken 


FiG.  go. — Cliff-house  on  the  Rio  Mancos  (ground  plan). 

into  account,  these  aerial  dwellings  mciy  well  excite  our  ad- 
miration. In  the  centre  we  find  the  inevitable  cstufa,  and, 
as  far  as  we  can  now  tell,  it  could  only  be  entered  by  an 
opening  of  twenty-two  inches  ;  and,  moreover,  in  order  to 
reach  this  strange  door,  a  regular  tunnel,  thirty  feet  long, 
had  to  be  crawled  through.  The  various  rooms  were  sep- 
arated by  division  walls,  which  did  not  reach  to  the  rock 
above,  so  that  communication  between  them  was  easy  by 
means  of  movable  ladders. 

Some  hastily  conducted  excavations  yielded  two  vases  of 
coarse  pottery,  clcsed  with  stone  covers  of  equally  rude 
workmanship.  These  vases,  which  would  liold  three  gallons, 
were  empty  ;  one  of  them  had  been  mended  with  a  fragment 
of  the  same  color,  stuck  upon  it  with  viscous  clay ;  they 


HI 


2IO 


PKE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


% 


lit 

Hit 
tit 


were  placed  on  a  bed  of  bark  fibres  covered  with  a  mat  of 
woven  reeds,'  another  proof  of  the  value  placed  upon  them 
by  their  owner. 

Between  the  two  houses  the  rock  is  absolutely  vertical ;  at 
a  place  where  the  slope  is  a  little  less  abrupt  some  steps 
roughly  indicated  rather  than  cut  in  the  rocks  have  been 
made  out.  At  present  they  offer  very  little  assistance  in 
climbing  the  cliff.  It  is  probable,  however,  that  these  in- 
dentations, never  very  deep,  have  suffered  by  weathering. 

At  the  level  of  the  upper  story  another  ledge  has  per- 
mitted the  erection  of  another  structure.  This  second  plat- 
form is  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  long  by  ten 
at  its  greatest  width.  The  work  appears  never  to  have  been 
completed.  The  Cliff  Dwellers  were  probably  discouraged 
by  the  difficulties  in  the  way  of  bringing  their  materials 
to  the  spot. 

The  finished  parts  had  been  inhabited,  and  the  rooms 
communicated  with  each  other  by  means  of  low  and  narrow 
doors.  In  one  of  these  rooms  the  explorers  thought  they 
recognized  traces  of  a  fire,  in  others  the  excavations  yielded 
some  grains  of  maize  and  some  kidney  beans ;  but  unfortu- 
nately the  explorers,  exhausted  with  a  long  march,  could  not 
or  did  not  search  further. 

In  some  instances  the  houses  of  the  Cliff  Dwellers  were  at  a 
very  much  greater  height.  Some  are  mentioned,  by  Holmes, 
eight  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  river,  so  well  con- 
cealed that  even  with  the  aid  of  a  telescope  they  can  hardly 
be  distinguished  from  the  rocks  protecting  them.  We  lose 
ourselves  in  conjectures  on  the  means  employed  to  reach  the 
places  from  which  the  buildings  rise,  or  to  take  to  them 
provisions  and  other  necessaries  of  life.  Ives,  in  his  report 
on  the  Colorado  River  of  the  West,  tells  us  that  to-day  the 
Moquis  often  build  at  very  great  elevations,  carrying  the 
stones  and  earth  needed  in  packs  on  their  shoulders.  For  a 
long  time  it  was  supposed  that  all  the  Cliff  men  had  to 
go  down  to  the  river  to  draw  water ;  but  fresh  researches 


'  Holmes  :    Loc.  cit.,  pi.  XLV. 


THE   CLIFF  DWELLERS. 


211 


the 
the 
)r  a 
to 
:lies 


have  led  to  the  discovery  in  certain  localities  in  the  cliffs 
themselves  of  springs,  the  waters  of  which  supplied  their 
needs  and  were  stored  up  in  natural  or  artificially  enlarged 
reservoirs. 


Fig.  91. — Two-storied  house  on  the  Rio   Nfancos. 


Fig.  g2. — Cliff-house  on  the  Mancos  (ground  plan). 

A  mile  farther  on,  still  following  the  banks  of  the  Rio 
Mancos,  Jackson  discovered  a  structure  seven  hundred  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  river  (figs  91  and  92).  This  building, 
to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  the  Two-story  Cliff  House, 


:t  m 


T  m^ 


:U! 


4 


liti 


It 
III 


'\\ 


212 


PRE.niSTORIC  AMl.KICA. 


is  better  preserved  than  any  of  those  surroundinp;  it.  One 
of  the  rooms  measures  nine  feet  by  ten,  another  is  six 
feet  square,  while  the  height  of  the  building  is  twelve  feet, 
and  there  is  a  space  of  between  two  and  three  feet  between 
the  walls  and  the  rock  which  overhangs  them  like  a  roof. 
These  rooms,  which  appear  to  us  so  small,  were  large  .'^r 
the  Cliff  Dwellers,  and  Jackson  speaks  of  another  place 
where  a  space  of  fourteen  feet  long  by  six  wide  and  five 
high  was  divided  into  two  rooms  of  nearly  equal  size,  to 
which  entrance  was  gained  through  a  little  square  hole. 
Examples  might  easily  be  multiplied;  at  Montezuma, 
for  instance,  there  are  cells  of  which  the  largest  are  not  more 


Fig.  <)3.     Interior  of  a  room  in  a  clifT-house. 

than  nine  and  a  half  feet  square,  whilst  the  smaller  ones  are 
not  quite  four  feet  square.  It  seems  astonishing  that  human 
creatures  could  exist  in  such  cramped  spaces  ! 

The  inside  walls  of  these  rooms  (fig.  93)  were  covered 
with  several  coatings  of  clay  moistened  with  water.  This 
mortar  was  laid  on  with  the  hand  ;  the  marks  of  the  fingers 
of  the  workmen  leave  no  doubt  on  that  point.  The  small- 
ness  of  these  fingers  has  even  led  some  to  suppose  that  the 
work  was  done  by  women. 

The  same  care  was  bestowed  on  the  outside  coating,  and 
the  mortar  is  gray  or  pinkish  in  color,  exactly  imitating 
that  of  the  neighboring  rocks.      It   is   impossible  to  say 


THE   CLIFF  DW'ELLLRS. 


213 


whether  this  is  the  result  of  the  action  of  time,  or  if  the 
workmen  selected  the  clay  with  a  view  of  better  concealing 
their  homes. 

Were  these  clifT-houses  only  places  of  refiijTc,  to  which  the 
inhabitants  of  the  valley  retired  on  the  approach  of  danger? 
Holmes  says  that  we  are  tempted  to  suppose  they  were, 
when  we  note  the  all  but  total  absence  of  the  bones  of  men 
or  animals,  or  of  the  refuse  of  all  kinds  so  plentiful  in  the 
kitchen  middens,  and  which  are  proofs  of  long  residence. 


Fig.  94. — Pueblo  of  the  MacElmo  valley  (ground  plan). 

The  coatings  of  clay  have  remained  as  fresh  and  compact  as 
when  they  were  first  laid  on  ;  a  fact  especially  noticeable  in 
the  Two-story  Cliff-House ;  and  if  it  had  been  long  inhab- 
ited it  must  have  undergone  a  thorough  repair  just  before 
it  was  deserted.  Other  explorers,  it  is  true,  speak  of  char- 
coal and  traces  of  fire  as  proving  a  lengthy  sojourn  of  man  ; 
but  archeologists  too  generally  come  to  the  study  of  such 
remains  with  preconceived  notions,  which  notions  are  too 
often  reflected  in  the  impressions  of  travellers. 


IT 
f|if 


Ml   f. 


J) 


I      ' 


I 


I'll 


214 


PKE./IISrOKlC   AMLKICA. 


The  MacElmo  valley  contains  ruins  no  less  important 
than  those  just  mentioned.  We  reproduce  (fig.  94)  a  plan 
of  one  of  them,  which  i.s  useful  as  {jivinfj  an  idea  of  the  gen- 
eral arrangement  of  a  pueblo.  The  large  tower  or  est u fa 
presents  a  certain  resemblance  to  the  singular  structures  in 
the  Balearic  Isles  to  which  the  name  of  Talayoti  has  been 
given.  It  is  built  of  unhewn  stone,  and  is  surrounded  by  a 
triple  wall.  The  space  between  the  two  external  walls  is 
only  five  feet,  and  it  contains  fourteen  cells.  Another 
estufa,  with  walls  more  than  three  feet  thick,  is  situated  at 


Fig,  95. — Tower  on  the  summit  of  a  rock  in  (he  MacElmo  valley. 

one  of  the  extremities.     The  rooms,  or  rat>cr  the  cells,  are 
rectangular  and  all  extremely  .small. 

This  pueblo  is  in  the  heart  of  a  rather  barren  district,  and 
and  is  about  a  mile  from  the  MacElmo  ris'c,  which  always 
dries  up  in  summer.  The  unfortunate  inhabitants  must  then 
have  been  reduced  for  several  months  in  the  year  to  fetching 
their  water  from  the  Dolores,  at  a  distance  of  fifteen  miles, 
if  we  suppose  the  conditions  to  have  remained  unchanged. 
This  is,  however,  quite  an  inadmissible  idea,  for  no  agricul- 


Hi, 


Till:    CLIFF  DWELLERS. 


215 


tural  population  could  have  lived  under  such  conditions. 
*'  To  suppose  an  agricultural  people  existing  in  such  a  local- 
ity, with  the  present  climate,  is  manifestly  absurd,"  says 
Holmes  (p.  399) ;  "  yet  every  isi>!,ited  rock  and  every  bit  of 
mesa  within  a  circle  of  miles  is  r-trc\vn  with  remnants  of 
human  dwellings  (fig.  95),  We  must  therefore  .ndmit,  as 
we  have  already  stated,  considerable  climatic  changes  since 
the  time  when  the  country  was  peopled." 

The  same  remark  applies  with  even  (greater  force  to  the 
ruins  of  Aztec  Spring  in  Colorado,  so  called  after  a  spring 
(E,  fig.  96)  that  Captain  Moss  speaks  of  having  found,  but 
which  has  disappeared  since  his  journey.  These  ruins  (fig. 
96),  situated  on  the  Mesa  Verde,  at  an  equal  distance  from 
the  Mac  Elmo  and  the  Mancos,  cover  an  area  of  4iSo,ooo 
square  feet,  and  represent  an  average  of  1,500,000  cubic 
feet  of  masonry. 

The  principal  building  forms  a  rectangle  (A),  eighty  feet  by 
one  hundred,  surrounded  by  a  double  wall  and  divided  into 
three  separate  rooms.  The  walls  arc  twenty-six  inches  thick 
and  vary  from  twelve  to  fifteen  feet  in  height ;  between  the 
two  walls  are  twenty  cells  whose  purpose  it  is  difficult  to 
guess,  but  which  may  have  been  store-rooms. 

Three  estufas  (B,  C,  and  D)  rise  in  the  centre  of  the  en- 
closure, and  as  far  as  can  be  judged  in  their  present  condi- 
tion, they  may  well  have  served  as  cisterns  for  keeping  the 
water  needed  by  the  inhabitants. 

The  division  walls  are  of  adobe  brick,  the  outer  walls  of 
blocks  of  fossiliferous  limestone  from  the  Mesa  Verde,  all 
symmetrically  hewn  and  cemented  with  clay  mixed  with 
the  dust  of  the  decomposed  carbonate  of  lime  abundant  in 
the  neighborhood.  It  is  doubtless  thanks  to  this  mortar 
that  the  ruins  of  Aztec  Spring  are  so  well  preserved. 

The  Hovenweep,  now  entirely  dry  (the  name  is  borrowed 
from  the  Ute  language  and  signifies  desert  canon),  once 
flowed  between  abrupt  and  desolate  cliffs.  Everywhere  in 
the  valley  we  meet  with  series  of  ruins,  including  at  every 
turn  those  strange  dwellings  of   several  stories  perched — 


TW 


U 


216 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


I     \\ 


that  is  just  the  expression  for  it — on  all  the  ledges  or  ter- 
races of  the  cliffs.  Here  we  note  the  exceptional  circum- 
stance that  the  houses  are  circular,  their  diameter  not  ex- 


ana 


rnr^rri 


„aijDdaa|iQ, 
MULJuaa 


n 


yuJL^n^ 


xi'lG.  96. — Aztec  Spring  (ground  plan), 

ceeding  twelve  to  fifteen  feet,  the  angles  are  rounded,  and  the 
walls  built  of  stones,  each  as  large  as  three  ordinary  bricks. 


THE   CLIFF  DWELLERS. 


217 


Every  thing  seems  to  have  been  done  with  a  view  to  de- 
fence :  the  houses  were  all  but  inaccessible,  and  little  watch- 
towers  had  been  erected  at  every  point  commanding  an  ex- 
tended view.  On  a  natural  terrace  measuring  scarcely  three 
hundred  feet  by  fifty,  situated  at  the  v^.•ry  source  of  the 
Hovenweep,  the  Cliff  Dwellers  had  managed  to  erect  no  less 
than  forty  different  houses. 

Montezuma  valley'  is  at  certain  points  ten  miles  wide. 
It  is  covered  with  ruins :  towers  with  a  triple  enclosure, 
mounds  made  up  in  a  great  measure  of  pieces  of  broken  pot- 
tery. The  cliffs  overlooking  the  valley  present  a  long  scries 
of  caves,  ledges,  and  rock-shelters,  invariably  turned  to  ac- 
count by  man  (fig.  97).  In  many  places  holes  have  been 
observed,  cut  in  the  rock  at  regular  distances,  in  which  the 
feet  and  hands  could  be  successively  placed.  These  were 
the  only  means  of  access ;  no  tree  native  to  these  valleys 
could  have  supplied  ladders  long  enough  to  reach  these 
eagles'  nests.  In  one  of  these  rock-shelters  the  explorer 
discovered  the  skeleton  of  a  man,  wrapped  in  a  covering 
with  broad  black  and  white  stripes.  This  man  had,  how- 
ever, no  connection  with  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  these 
aerial  dwellings.  According  to  all  appearances  he  was  a 
Navajo,  a  victim  to  the  incessant  warfare  between  his  tribe 
and  the  Utes. 

We  must  also  mention  seven  erect  stones  in  the  Monte- 
zuma valley,  which  rise  in  the  midst  of  its  desert  like  the 
menhirs  of  Brittany  or  Wales.  Later  observations,  however, 
lead  to  a  belief  that  these  were  not  menhirs,  but  pillars  in- 
tended to  strengthen  defensive  works.  Defence,  in  fact,  seems 
to  have  ever  occupied  the  thoughts  of  these  men  ;  for  in  a 
radius  of  fifteen  miles,  at  every  point  commanding  the  valley 
or  that  could  serve  as  a  post  of  observation,  we  find  blocks  torn 
from  the  neighboring  rocks  and  piled  up  one  on  the  other, 
the  interstices  being  filled  with  small  stones  to  consolidate 
the  mass.  Every  thing  bears  witness  to  the  presence  of  a 
numerous  population  ;  such  works  can  indeed  only  have  been 
constructed  bv  numbers. 


\\ 


'  Jackson,  /.  f.,  p.  427  et.  seq. 


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PRE-IIISTOKIC  AMERICA. 


The  rocks  of  the  Rio  de  Chelly  enclose  habitations  ex- 
actly similar  to  those  we  have  just  described.  In  fact  we 
are  doomed  to  inevitable  repetition  in  describing  the  remains 
of  the  Cliff  Dwellers,  of  whom  these  buildings,  a  few  frag- 
ments of  pottery,  and  wretched  flint  implements  are  the  only 


Fig.  97 — House  in  a  rock  of  Montezuma  cafion. 

Tclics.  On  the  Rio  dc  Chclly,  as  in  the  IMontezuma  valley 
and  on  the  banks  of  the  Mancos  or  the  MacElmo,  natural 
and  artificial  caves,  depressions,  and  the  smallest  ledges  have 
been  turned  to  account.     The  buildings  are  often  of  excep- 


%k. 


THE   CUFF  DWELLERS. 

tional  importance,  and  Jackson,  (/.  c,  p.  421)  speaks  of  some 
ruins  at  an  elevation  of  seventy  feet  which  he  cails  a  Cave 
town.  They  are  545  feet  long  by  a  maximum  width  of  forty 
feet.  Nearly  all  include  a  ground-floor  and  one  story ;  one  of 
them  indeed  has  two  stories,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been  the 
house  of  the  chief.  The  walls  are  everywhere  very  thin, 
none  of  them  exceeding  one  foot  in  thickness,  while  some 
are  but  half  as  much.  The  stones  are  imbedded  in  a  thick 
mortar  and  coated  with  it  inside  and  out.  Seventy-five  sepa- 
rate rooms  have  been  made  out,  with  the  inevitable  estufa 
in  the  centre,  and  behind  the  house  are  two  little  reservoirs 
for  holding  water.  None  of  these  houses  have  any  openings 
but  the  windows  which  almost  all  face  an  inside  court,  and 
examination  has  resulted  in  the  discovery  of  no  means  of  ac- 
cess but  broken  pieces  of  rock  and  natural  fissures  which 
might  be  used  as  a  help  in  climbing ;  several  corrals  or  interior 
courts,  are  still  full  of  dung  reduced  to  dust  ;  how  did  these 
Cliff  men  ever  get  cattle  up  to  such  a  height,  and  how  could 
they  subsist  them  on  steep  rocks  with  no  outlets?  Any 
number  of  guesses  may  be  made,  but  it  must  be  admitted 
that  none  arc  completely  satisfactory.  The  height  of  the 
rocks  of  schistose  sandstone  which  crown  these  structures  is 
no  less  than  Iwo  hundred  feet  above  the  foot  of  the  Mesa. 
The  descent  from  this  point  is  therefore  even  more  diflficult 
than  the  ascent  from  the  valley.  The  Mesa  is  arid,  desolate, 
and  covered  with  stunted  vegetation. 

At  the  foot  of  the  rocks  wc  see  a  number  of  upright 
stones  surrounding  rectangular  spaces  such  as  those  of 
which  we  have  already  spoken.  Here,  too,  excavations 
have  produced  nothing  to  suggest  that  these  stones  marked 
burial-places.  Some  red  earthenware,  knives,  hatchets, 
awls,  and  finely  chipped  stone  arrow-points  are  all  that  have 
been  found. 

We  give  a  drawing  (fig.  99)  of  a  house  built  at  a  height 
of  seventy  feet  about  two  miles  from  Cave  Town.  This 
will  help  us  to  realize  the  difficulties  of  access  and  the 
means  employed  to  surmount  them.      The  house   is   one 


^TTH 


220 


PRK-insrOKlC  AMERICA. 


It: 


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story  high ;  the  ground-floor  measures  eighteen  feet  by  ten, 
and  this  narrow  space  forms  two  separate  rooms,  whilst  the 
first  story  consists  of  only  one.  The  overhanging  rock 
serves  as  a  protecting  roof.  Eight  miles  from  Cave  Town 
is  another  group  of  similar  buildings  of  smaller  size. 

The  whole  of  Epsom  Creek  valley,  so  cafled  after  a 
stream  of  brackish  water  which  is  said  to  taste  something 
like  Epsom  salts,  is  covered  with  ruins  of  a  smaller  size  than 
those  already  noticed.  These  are  chimney-like  caves  (fig. 
98),  which  Jackson  calls  "  cubby-holes,"  and  are  situated 
now  on  the  banks  of  a  stream,  now  wedged  like  sandwiches 
between  the  layers  of  rock.  These  dwellings  generally  con- 
tain but  a  single  room,  the  walls  of  which  are  so  perfectly 


Fig.  98. — Cavc-I  tjwn  near  the  San  Juan. 

coated  that  even  now  there  is  not  a  crack  in  the  mortar. 
The  entrance  to  the  valley  was  defended  by  a  tower  (fig.  88) 
on  an  inaccessible  elevation,  which  Mr.  Jackson  made  many 
fruitless  efforts  to  scale ;  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  stream 
rises  another  circular  tower  forty  feet  in  diameter,  of  which 
the  antiquity  is  attested  by  its  crumbling  walls  covered  with 
moss  and  brushwood. 

A  few  miles  up  stream,  on  the  banks  of  a  deep  ravine,  are 
ruins  presenting  the  aspect  of  a  fortified  town.  Explorers 
found  themselves  face  to  face  with  a  great  mass  of  rectan- 
gular form,  with  towers  connected  with  each  other  and  ar- 
ranged on  either  side  of  the  ravine,  so  as  to  command  all 


%  ■• 


Fig.  qg. — Cliff-liouse  in  the  Caflon  de  Chelly. 

221 


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222 


PRE.HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


the  approaches.  The  dominant  idea  amongst  these  people 
senms  to  have  been  dread  of  the  attacks  of  enemies,  hence 
the  necessity  of  being  always  prepared  to  repulse  them. 
"  The  San  Juan  valley,"  said  the  San  Francisco  Evening 
Bulletin  of  July  8,  1864,  "is  strewn  with  ruins  for  hundreds 
of  miles  ;  some  buildings  three  stories  high,  of  masonry,  are 
still  standing." 

The  buildings  on  the  banks  of  the  La  Plata,  twenty-five 
miles  from  its  junction  with  the  San  Juan,  and  five  miles 
south  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad,  should  also  be  men- 


FiG.  100. — Casa  Grande  in  the  Gila  valley. 

tioned,  if  only  on  account  of  their  peculiar  arrangement. 
They  stretch  away  irregularly  throughout  the  valley ;  each 
family  had  its  own  home.  Every  thing  bears  witness  to  a 
state  of  culture  different  from  those  hitherto  noticed.  The 
family  seems  to  have  come  into  existence,  and  isolated 
dwellings,  such  as  we  meet  with  in  all  countries  of  Europe, 
show  still  better  the  independence  of  their  inhabitants. 
"  These  houses,"  says  Holmes  (/.  c,  p.  388),  "  seem  to  be 
distributed  very  much  as  dwelling-houses  are  in  the  rural 
districts  of  civilized  and  peaceable  communities." 


THE  CUFF  DWELLERS. 


223; 


Cliff  houses  are  as  numerous  in  Arizona  as  in  New  Mexico, 
but  their  sites  seem  to  have  been  better  chosen,  and  the 
foundations  are  of  stone,  though  there  -is  nothing  to  lead  us 
to  suppose  them  to  be  older  than  the  walls  of  adobes  rising 
from  them.  We  have  now  reached  the  extreme  southern 
'imit  of  the  districts  occupied  by  the  Cliff  Dwellers,  and  the 
vast  heaps  of  broken  earthenware  met  with  at  every  turn 
bear  witness  to  the  great  length  of  their  residence. 

Amongst  all  these  ruins,  the  Casa  Grande  (fig.  100) 
merits  special  mention.  It  rises  from  a  'ittle  eminence  in 
the  valley  of  the  Rio  Gila,  two  miles  and  a  half  from  the 
river,  and  it  appears  certain  that  it  had  existed  for  several 
centuries  before  the  arrival  of  the  Spaniards,  who  knew  of  it 
from  the  time  of  their  very  earliest  expeditions  ;  indeed,  it 
is  generally  admitted  that  it  is  to  it  that  Coronado  refers 
under  the  name  of  the  chichilticalle  or  the  red  house.  The 
first  at  all  complete  description,  however,  which  has  come 
down  to  us,  is  that  of  Father  Mange,  who  visited  the  Casa 
Grande  with  Father  Kino,  in  1697.'  It  appears  that  at  that 
date  the  ruins  included  eleven  different  buildings,  surmounted 
by  a  protective  wall  of  moderate  height.  Now  these  build- 
ings are  reduced  to  three,  only  one  of  which  is  still  in  a  state 
permitting  of  its  examination.  It  is  built  of  large  adobes 
measuring  four  feet  by  two,  and  it  is  fifty  feet  by  forty  feet 
in  size.  The  walls  are  five  feet  thick  at  the  base,  and  gradu- 
ally decrease  in  breadth  toward  the  top."  The  inside  is  di- 
vided in  five  rooms  (fig.  101),  much  larger  than  any  hitherto 
described.  The  central  of  these  rooms  are  eight  feet  long  by 
fourteen  wide  ;  the  others  are  as  much  as  thirty  two  feet 
long  by  ten  wide."  Fragments  of  cedar-wood  beams,  still 
inserted  in  the  walls,  prove  that  the  buildings  originally  con- 
sisted of  three,  perhaps  in  its  central  portion  of  four,  stories. 

'  "Doc,  Hist.  Mex.,"  Series  IV.,  vol.  I.,  p.  282.  Bancroft  :  loc.  cil.,  vol. 
IV.,  p.  621,  et  seq. 

"Bartlett  :  "Personal  Narrative  of  Explorations  and  Incidents  in  Texas,  New 
Mexico,  California,  Sonora,  and  Chihuahua."  New  York,  1854,  vol.  II.,  p. 
271,  et  scq. 

'  Judging  by  the  plan,  these  measurements  appear  to  be  mere  rough  approxi- 
mations. 


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224 


PKE.IIISTOIUC  AMERICA. 


No  staircase,  nor  any  thing  to  take  its  place,  can  be  made 
out,  so  that  communication  between  the  stories  must  have 
taken  place  by  means  of  ladders.  A  vast  conflagration  has 
everywhere  left  indelible  traces,  and  this  is  supposed  to  have 
been  the  work  of  the  Apaches,  the  wildest  and  most  indomi- 
table of  all  the  Indian  tribes. 

The  Casa  Grande  was  the  centre  of  an  important  estab- 
lishment. Bartlett  tells  us  that  in  every  direction  as  far  as 
the  eye  can  reach  Ave  see  crumbling  walls  and  masses  of  rub- 
bish, the  remains  of  old  buildings ;  while  Fathers  Mange, 
Kino,  and  Font  say  that  the  plain  was  covered  for  a  radius 
of  ten  miles  with  hillocks  of  adobes  turned  to  dust.  In  fact 
volumes  would  not  suffice  to  describe  all  the  ruins  in  these 


'^Z'T^^^^ri^m 


Fig.  ioi. — Ground  plan  of  the  Casa  Grande. 

regions  or  all  the  people  who  have  inhabited  them.  We  can 
only  name  those  of  the  valley  of  the  Rio  Salado  and  its 
tributary  the  Rio  Verde,  the  former  of  which  flows  into  the 
Gila.' 

Several  acequias,  or  canals  for  irrigation  also  bear  witness 
to  the  industry  of  the  inhabitants."  Father  Mange  speaks 
of  one  near  the  Casa  Grande,  intended  to  receive  the  waters 
of  the  Gila.  This  canal  was  twenty-seven  feet  wide  by  ten 
deep  and  was  tl;ree  leagues  long.  These  figures,  we  mu.st 
add,  appear  exaggerated  to  later  travellers,  though  they 
mention  another  canal  in  the  Salado  valley  which  must  have 
been  nearly  as  wide,  and  was  four  or  five  feet  deep.  The 
Cliff  Dwellers  then  did  not  shrink  from  such  undertakings, 
any  more  than  did  the    Mound  Builders,  when  they  were 

'  Bancroft,  vol.  IV.,  pp.  632  and  635. 

"  Whipple,  Ewbank,  and  Turner  :  "  Report  upon  the  Indian  Tribes." 


^ 


THE   CLIFF  DWELLERS. 


225 


helpful  to  their  commerce  or  their  agriculture.  They  illus- 
trate  perhaps  better  then  their  buildings  to  what  a  degree 
of  culture  these  people  had  attained. 

We  must  now  compare  with  the  Casa  Grande  of  the  Rio 
Gila  some  other  yet  more  extensive  ruins,  resembling  them 
in  every  respect,  situated  in  Chihuahua.  These  buildings, 
to  which  the  Spaniards  have  given  the  same  name  of  Casus 
Grandes,  deserve  mention  here,  as  they  are  evidently  the 
work  of  the  same  race  and  date  from  the  same  epoch  as 
those  of  Arizona. 

These  Casas  Grandes  are  situated  in  the  San  Miguel  val- 
ley, not  far  from  the  present  boundary  between  the  United 
States  and  Mexico.  The  country  is  occupied  by  the 
Apaches,  who  make  all  exploration  dangerous.' 

Masses  of  rubbish  in  the  midst  of  which  rise  parts  of  walls 
some  of  them  fifty  feet  high,  indicate  the  old  site  of  the 
town.  The  walls  were  built  of  adobes.  These  adobes  were 
of  very  irregular  length  and  twenty-two  inches  thick,  while 
the  walls  themselves  were  nearly  five  feet  wide  and  simply 
coated  with  clay  moistened  with  water.  The  chief  building 
was  800  feet  long  on  the  fronts  facing  north  and  south, 
but  only  250  on  those  to  the  east  and  west.  The  "  Album 
Mexicano  "  says  1380  feet  by  414,  and  Bartlett,  from  whom 
we  quote  our  figures,  probably  did  not  include  detached 
buildings  in  the  sum  total.  In  1 851  when  Bartlett  visited 
them  there  were  neither  stones  nor  beams  to  be  seen,  and  the 
state  of  dilapidation  was  such  that  neither  the  marks  of  a 
floor  nor  of  a  staircase  could  be  made  out  ;  nor  could  he  tell 
the  number  or  height  of  the  stories.  Other  less  conscien- 
tious explorers  assert  that  the  principal  buildings  were  three 
stories  high  and  surmounted  by  a  terrace. 

He  had  the  same  difficulties  to  contend  with  in  examining 
the  internal  arrangements ;  but  in  one  place  he  made  out 

'  Arleguy:  "  Chron.  de  la  Prov.  de  S.  Francisco  de  Zacatecas,"  Mexico,  1737, 
p.  104.  Clavigero :  "St.  Ant.  del  Messico,"  vol.  I.,  p.  159.  Escudero  : 
"  Noticias  del  Estado  de  Chihuahua,"  p.  234.  "Album  Mexicano,"  Mexico, 
1849,  vol.  I.,  p.  374.  Bartlett,  "  Personal  Narrative,"  New  York,  1834,  vol. 
11- ,  P-  347- 


I 


sP 


226 


PRE.HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


M? 


six  chambers  twenty  feet  by  six  in  extent,  and  this  restricted 
space,  was  still  further  curtailed  by  a  little  niche  three  to^ 
four  feet  high  at  the  end  of  each  chamber,  the  use  of  which 
is  imknown. 

A  short  distance  off,  other  buildings  surround  a  square 
court.  Here  too  we  find  the  little  cells  which  are  one  of 
the  characteristic  features  of  the  Casas  Grandes  as  of  the 
cliff-houses  and  the  pueblos.  This  is  an  important  indi- 
cation of  similar  habits,  and  of  the  similar  origin  of  the 
builders. 

There  are  more  than  2CXXD  mounds  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  Casas  Grandes,  and  it  is  probable  that  they  were  burial- 
places.  Excavations  have  not,  however,  produced  a  single 
human  bone.  All  that  has  been  picked  up  are  a  few  stone 
axes,  clumsy  earthen\  'are  statuettes  and  fragments  of  pot- 
tery, decorated  with  red,  black,  or  brown  ornaments  on  a 
generally  white  ground. 

A  few  miles  farther  off  rises  a  regular  fortress,  not  built  of 
adobes,  but  of  well-dressed  stones  put  together  without 
mortar  of  any  kind.  The  walls  are  from  ten  to  twenty  feet 
thick,  and  the  summit  is  reached  by  a  path  cut  in  the  rock. 
There  is  nothing  to  show  whether  this  fortress  was  erected 
to  defend  the  Casas  Grandes,  or  even  if  it  existed  when  that 
little  town  flourished. 

Important  ruins  are  to  be  seen  on  either  side  of  the  Col- 
orado Chiquito,  one  of  the  upper  branches  of  the  Colorado. 
They  date  from  different  epochs,  and  on  foundations  of  un- 
wrought  stone  we  find,  as  in  Arizona,  walls  made  of  adobes 
or  of  wood.  Numerous  fragments  of  fine  light  pottery,  sel- 
dom painted,  bits  of  obsidian  and  of  rocks  mostly  foreign  to- 
the  locality,  also  witness  to  the  presence  of  man.' 

Among  the  ruins  is  one  building  measuring  120  feet  by 
360,  situated  on  an  isolated  eminence.  The  walls  have  all 
but   crumbled   away,  but  we  can  still  see  that   they  were 

'  Sitgreaves,  "  Report  of  an  Expedition  down  the  ZuAiand  Colorado  Rivers," 
p.  8,  Washington,  1853.  Whipple,  "  Report  and  Explorations  near  the  35th 
Parallel."  B.  Mttlhausen,  "  Tagebuch  einer  reise  vom  Mississippi  nach  dem. 
kusten  der  Sud  See,"  Leipzig,  1858. 


\*1 


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THE   CUFF  DWELLERS. 


22/ 


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twelve  feet  thick.  Inside  we  find  the  same  little  cells  we 
have  so  often  dcscriued.  We  must  also  mention  a  fort,  if 
we  may  so  call  it,  which  rises  from  the  western  bank  of 
Beaver  Creek.' 

The  river  flows  between  deep  caflons,  presenting  a  deso- 
late aspect.  Toward  the  middle  of  acliff  with  perpendicular 
walls  and  no  means  of  access,  at  a  height  of  a  hundred  feet, 
rises  a  square  tower  of  admirably  dressed  stone,  which  may 
have  been  from  thirty  to  thirty-five  feet  high.  Each  story 
rising  behind  the  one  below  contains  but  a  single  room,  the 
dimensions  of  which  vary  from  four  to  eight  feet  square  by 
a  height  of  three  to  five  feet.  The  floors  are  of  beams 
roughly  squar^^d,  and  the  openings  are  few  and  very  narrow. 
It  is  extremely  difficult  to  penetrate  this  tower.  Through- 
out the  valley,  as  far  as  Montezuma  Wells,  rise  similar 
towers,  which  have  been  justly  compared  by  a  traveller  to 
swallows'  nests.  It  must  have  required  unheard  of  labor  to 
transport  and  work  the  stones  under  such  conditions.  We 
ask  ourselves  what  manner  of  men  were  the  builders  and 
what  can  have  been  their  aim  ;  but  we  are  unable  to  answer 
these  constantly  repeated  questions. 

But  we  have  not  yet  exhausted  the  surprises  which  await 
us  in  these  regions  ;  that  is,  if  we  can  accept  with  full  con- 
fidence the  account  of  Captain  Walker,  who  speaks  of  having 
discovered  in  1850,  on  the  banks  of  the  Colorado  Chiquito,  a 
regular  citadel,  situated  in  the  centre  of  a  town,  the  ruins  of 
which  extend  for  more  than  a  mile,  and  of  which  the  streets 
running  at  right  angles  with  each  other  are  still  recognizable.' 
"  A  storm  of  fire,"  he  says,  "  had  passed  over  the  town  ;  the 
stones  arc  calcined  by  the  flames  ;  the  very  rock  from  which 
the  chief  building  rises  bears  traces  of  fusion  ;  every  thing 
testifies  to  the  intensity  of  the  heat." 

Before  entirely  rejecting  an  account  which  no  one  has  yet 
confirmed  we  must  remember  theit   more  important  traces 

'  Dr.  Hoffman  :  "  Ethn.  Obs.  on  Indians  Inhabiting  Nevada,  California,  and 
Arizona,"  U.  S.  Geol.  and  Geog.  Survey,  1876. 

'  San  Francisco  Herald,  quoted  by  Bancroft,  "  Native  Races,"  vol.  IV. » 
p.  647. 


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If. 


228 


PRE-IIISTORIC  AMIiRlCA. 


exist  in  Missouri,  on  the  Gasconade  River,  not  far  from  St. 
Louis,  of  an  ancient  town  with  regular  squares,  roads  cross- 
ing each  other  at  right  angles,  and  houses  of  unwrought 
stone  without  any  traces  of  mortar.  We  may  also  mention 
similar  ruins  at  Buffalo  Creek  and  on  the  Osage  River.' 

Some  time  ago  Major  Powell  ascended  for  some  hundreds 
of  miles  the  Great  (Colorado,  still  so  little  known.  He  tells 
of  having  noticed  in  dreary  and  deserted  regions  traces  of  a 
population  now  completely  passed  away.  Everywhere  in 
the  valleys  are  pueblos,  and  cliff-houses  are  seen  at  every 
turn  in  the  wild  and  picturesque  caftons,  among  rocks  about 
4,800  feet  high,  and  where  the  cliffs  sometimes  lean 
so  closely  together  that  one  is  tempted  to  biliuve  that  the 
river  sinks  into  a  subterranean  passage  like  the  tunnels  of  a 
railway.  Round  about  these  abandoned  habitations  the 
travellers  found  fragments  of  pottery,  arrow-points,  and  chips 
of  quartz,  similar  to  those  which  have  been  picked  up  every- 
where in  Central  America. 

We  have  described  numerous  buildings  situated  in  the 
valleys  at  the  foot  of  the  rocks  on  which  the  cliff-houses 
were  built,  all  the  approaches  to  which  were  defended  by 
watch-towers  or  other  posts  of  observation.  Every  thing 
tells  of  conNlaiit  reprisals,  of  incessant  peril,  and  formidable 
enemies.  But  there  are  yet  other  more  considerable  ruins, 
of  more  imposing  appearance  as  a  whole,  the  former  in- 
habitants of  which  do  not  appear  to  have  been  exposed 
to  the  same  dangers. 

These  formed  peaceable  communities,  exclusively  agricul- 
tural, in  which  communism  under  the  authority  of  a  despotic 
chief  appears  to  have  been  the  prevalent  system.  Gregg, 
who  crossed  New  Mexico  about  1840,  was  the  first  to 
describe  them,'  and  he  tells  us  that  the  ruins  of  the  Pueblo 
Bonito  in  the  Navajo  country,  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains 
included  houses  built  of  slabs  of  sand.stone,  a  mode  of  con- 

'  Conant :  "  Foot-prints  of  Vanished  Races,"  p,  71. 

""Commerce  des  Prairies,"  vol.  I.,  p.  284,  New  York,  1844.  The  pueblo 
of  which  Gregg  speaks  under  the  name  of  the  I5onito  Pueblo  is  probably  the 
Pintado  Pueblo. 


DD 
an 


!!! 


^: 


TtlE   CUIF  DWELLERS. 


229 


struction  quite  unknown  in  the  country  at  present.  These 
houses  are  stili  intact,  though  their  anti(juity  is  such  that  we 
are  absolutely  ignorant  of  their  origin. 

In  1849,  Colonel  Washington,  Governor  of  New  Mexico, 
organized  an  expedition  against  the  Navajos,  who  infested 
the  northern  part  of  the  territory,  and  it  is  to  Lieutenant, 
afterward  General,  Simpson,  attached  to  the  topographical 


\\- 

tic 

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to 

lo 

ns 

In- 


^saBRBBHR^p^ 


nnnnfZDCjrriLji/i.ji  jizj 


^^TcTSQcirDcz]  Lin  [zirnan 


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nana- 


zDiiiiaciKiiiiizjciicziaaaDg 


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toA  de  ecndrti 


Fig.  102. — Ground  plan  of  the  Pueblo  Bonito  in  the  Chaco  Caflon. 

department  of  the  army,  that  we  owe  the  first  regular  plans 
of  the  ruins  met  with  by  the  soldiers  at  every  turn  in  cross- 
ing  the  Chaco  Carton.' 

The  Bonito  Pueblo  is  the  most  important  of  these  villages 
(fig.  102).  It  will  be  well  to  describe  it  with  some  detail,"  to 
be  able  to  compare  it  with  other  pueblos  closely  resembling 

'"  Report,  Secretary  of  War,"  Thirty-first  Congress,  First  Session. 
'  Ruins  of  Chaco  Caiion  examined  in  1877,      Jackson,  /.  c,  432,  440,  et  seq., 
pi.  LVIII. 


II 


A. 


^1 


Is  ; 


\m 


230 


PRE.HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


;;i  / 


1  !   \ 


it  in  their  chief  arrangements.  We  must  add,  however,  that 
most  of  them  are  of  rectangular  plan,  and  that  they  present 
a  unity  of  design  that  we  do  not  find  to  the  same  extent  in 
the  Bonito  Pueblo. 

This  pueblo,  built  doubtless  by  degrees  as  the  necessities 
of  the  moment  dictated,  rises  below  the  perpendicular  rocks 
which  limit  the  Chaco  Caflon,  and  forms  an  irregular  half  of 
an  ellipse  measuring  five  hundred  and  forty-four  feet  by 
four  hundred  and  fourteen.  An  inside  court  is  divided  into 
two  almost  equal  portions  by  a  row  of  four  estufas. 

Two  wings  are  placed  perpendicularly  to  the  principal 
building.  The  left  wing  is  divided  into  three  rows  of 
parallel  rooms,  measuring  from  twelve  to  twenty  feet  long 
by  from  twelve  to  fifteen  wide,  larger  than  those  of  the  cliff- 
houses.  The  outer  walls  are  in  ruins,  but  the  division  walls 
in  pretty  good  preservation  still  reach  up  to  the  second 
story.  This  wing  forms  a  quarter  of  a  circle,  and  although 
the  whole  of  this  portion  has  suffered  very  much  we  can  still 
make  out  five  rows  of  cells,  with  nine  cells  to  each  row. 
Lastly  we  must  mention  three  estufas,  half  underground, 
a  little  in  advance  of  the  buildings. 

In  the  right  wing  the  walls  arc  better  preserved  ;  they  are 
still  thirty  feet  high,  and  four  ilifferent  stories,  one  above 
the  other,  have  been  made  out.'  This  part  cf  the  buildings 
appeared  to  the  explorers  to  be  the  most  recent  portion  of 
the  whole  pueblo,  some  of  the  beams  which  suoported  the 
floor  are  still  in  their  places,  and  from  them  we  can  judge 
how  the  different  rooms,  the  largest  of  the  pueblo,  were 
arranged. 

The  state  of  decay  of  part  of  the  ruins  is  such  that  it  is 
impossible  to  decide  on  the  exact  number  of  the  noms.  In 
a  neighboring  pueblo,  that  of  Pintado,  one  hundred  and 
fifty  have  been  counted,  and  every  thing  points  to  the  con- 
clusion that  there  were  even  more  in  the  Pueblo  Bonito. 


'  There  are  also  several  stories  in  the  neighboring  pueblos.  The  Pueblo 
Pint.ido  has  four  ;  the  second,  ten  feet  high  ;  the  third,  seven.  The  Pueblo  of 
tlic  Arroyo  has  three  stories,  and  many  others  might  be  quoted. 


THL    CLil'F  DWELLERS. 


J3I 


Neither  the  inner  nor  th^  outer  walls  show  any  trace  of 
stairs,  so  that  it  is  probable  the  inhabitants  went  from  one 
story  to  another  by  means  of  ladders — a  mode  of  access  still 
obtaining  in  the  pueblos  now  inhabited.  The  windows  are 
extremely  small,  and  their  lintels  consist  of  pieces  of  cedar 
or  pine  wood  scarcely  squared  and  merely  laid  side  by  side. 
The  floors  must  have  been  of  wood,  but  most  of  thf^m  were 
used  by  Colonel  Washington's  soldiers  to  feed  their  camp- 
fires. 

The  walls  of  the  eastern  side  arc  pretty  well  preserved, 
and  rise  to  the  height  of  the  second  story.  On  this  side  arc 
the  two  largest  estufas  of  the  pueblo,  their  diameter  exceed- 


& 


T 


a 


l-,.!'    [  - 


KiG.    103. — Different  kinds  of   masonry  used  in   the  buildings  of  the  Chaco 

Valley. 

ing  fifty  feet.  They  were  situated  in  the  centre  of  a  court, 
and  covered  by  a  mass  of  masonry,  forming  a  rectangle  of 
one  hundred  and  fifteen  feet  by  sixty-five.  Farther  on, 
masses  of  rubbish  mark  the  site  of  buildings,  the  use  of 
which  cannot  be  made  out,  connecting  the  large  estufas  with 
two  small  ones,  which  touched  the  chief  buildings.  In  the 
court  itself,  a  series  of  excavations,  filled  with  rubbish  of  all 
kinds,  suggests  q  set  of  subterranean  passages,  and  it 
is  to  be  regretted  that  this  interesting  point  has  not  been 
verified. 

The  masonry,  generally  remarkable  for  the  care  and  pre- 
cision with  which  it  is  executed,  contrasts  strangely  with 
that  now  to  be  seen  amongst   the  sedentary  Indians.     The 


f  11 


233 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


1  I 


people  of  the  pueblos  always  selected  the  largest  stones  to 
frame  the  openings,  and  they  placed  them  exactly  at  right 
angles.  In  the  very  diverse  buildings  which  make  up  the 
Pueblo  Bonito,  this  masonry  presents  remarkable  differ- 
ences (fig.  103) ;  it  does  not  all  seem  to  date  from  the  same 
period,  and  it  may  be  that  parts  have  been  restored  at  more 
recent  epochs  than  that  of  the  original  buildings.  In  many 
parts  the  walls  are  strengthened  with  round  pieces  of  wood, 
three  to  four  inches  in  diameter,  set  upright ;  and,  by  others, 
ten  to  fifteen  feet  long  by  six  to  eight  inches  in  diame- 
ter, arranged  horizontally.  We  find  a  similar  plan  adopted 
in  the  islands  of  Greece,'  subject,  as  they  are,  to  disas- 
trous earthquakes,  and  the  same  causes  may  have  led  the 
inhabitants  of  New  Mexico  to  take  the  same  precautions. 
Let  us  not  weary  of  calling  attention  to  the  similitude  in 
the  intellect  of  man  and  the  identity  in  his  ideas  all  over 
the  surface  of  the  globe.  For,  truly,  it  is  one  of  the  most 
curious  points  of  the  study  in  which  we  arc  engaged. 

We  must  also  note  the  great  number  of  estufas  which 
everywhere  rise  amidst  the  ruins  under  notice.  Jackson  has 
counted  twenty-one  of  them.  They  arc  generally  remark- 
able for  their  size  and  the  solidity  of  their  construction. 
Nearly  all  of  them  were  on  a  level  with  the  soil,  and  their 
height  was  greater  than  that  of  the  other  buildings.  There 
were  no  lateral  openings  to  be  seen,  and  it  is  probable  that, 
as  in  the  Pintado  Pueblo,  the  entrance  was  from  a  hole  in 
the  roof.  Most  of  these  estufas  arc  completely  in  ruins,  and 
their  site  alone  is  marked  by  a  pile  of  earth  and  stones. 
Those  few  still  standing  prove  the  intelligence  of  the 
architects  and  the  skill  of  the  workmen.  In  some  pueblos 
the  estufas  are  strengthened  with  buttresses ;  in  the 
Hungo-Pavie  Pueblo,  for  instance,  the  estufa  is  flanked 
by  six  buttresses,  forming  regular  pillars ;  and,  in  the 
Pueblo  Pintado,  there  are  four  very  similar  ones.  Instan- 
ces of  this  peculiarity  might  be  multiplied. 

Every  discovery  confirms  the  importance  of  these  estufas. 

'  "  Les  premiers  Hommes  et  les  Temps  pre-historiques,"  vol.  I.,  p.  414. 


THE   CLIFF  DWELLERS. 


233 


We  have  noticed  them  in  the  cliff-houses,  we  find  them  again 
in  the  pueblos,  and  to  this  day  they  arc  to  be  seen  amongst 
the  Moqui  Indians,  where  they  consist  of  square  rooms  used 
as  workshops  for  weaving.  The  Moquis,  both  male  and  fe- 
male, assemble  in  them  to  avoid  the  great  heat  of  the  day, 
or,  according  to  more  credible  accounts,  to  practise  their 
mysterious  rites.  This  constant  presence  of  the  estufa  is 
another  point  of  comparison  which  must  not  be  forgotten. 

In  the  course  of  his  researches  Jackson  discovered  outside 
the  enclosure  of  the  pueblos,  on  the  east,  some  little  struc- 
tures raised  on  a  bank  of  stones  forming  the  lower  stratum 
of  the  rock.  The  calcareous  bed  had  indeed  been  length- 
ened by  a  layer  of  masonry,  formed  of  large  and  small  stones 
arranged  alternately.  Yet  farther  off  was  another  more  im- 
portant mass  of  ruins  covering  an  area  of  163  feet  by  73,  and 
including  two  estufas.  All  appearances  pointed  to  the  con- 
clusion that  these  ruins  were  connected  with  the  Bonito 
Pueblo. 

Time  doubtless  failed  the  explorers  for  the  excavation  of 
the  two  heaps  of  cinders  on  the  south  of  the  pueblo ;  but  it 
is  very  certain  that  these  middens  would  have  yielded  many 
objects  which  would  have  made  us  better  acquainted  with 
the  ancient  inhabitants  of  the  pueblo. 

Amongst  the  other  pueblos  discovered  we  must  mention 
that  of  Una  Vida,  the  estufa  of  which  is  the  largest  hitherto 
found,  its  diameter  exceeding  sixty  feet  ;  the  Pintado  Pueblo, 
already  referred  to  more  than  once  ;  the  VVeje-Gi  Pueblo ; 
the  Peilasca-Blanca  Pueblo,  of  elliptical  form,  with  an  in- 
ternal court  measuring  364  feet  by  269,  the  largest  of  any 
after  the  Bonito  Pueblo,  the  buildings  covering  altogether 
an  area  of  499  feet  by  363  ;  and  the  Arroyo  Pueblo,  in  which 
three  stories  can  be  made  out,  with  floors  of  interlaced  wil- 
low branches  covered  with  beaten  earth.  Near  these  large 
pueblos  were  several  other  very  small  ones.  That  marked  9 
in  the  plans  drawn  by  Jackson  is  only  seventy-eight  feet  by 
sixty-three  ;  yet  it  has  two  estufas  and  some  twenty  rooms. 
A  detailed  description  of  these  pueblos  would  involve  us  in 


('■ 


ilil 


^34 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


ifl 


•constant  repetition.  Everywhere  we  meet  with  the  same 
class  of  structures  with  their  remarkable  regularity,  their 
walls  of  stones  or  adobes,  and  their  cstufas  overlooking  the 
rest  of  the  buildings.  We  must  add,  however,  that  the 
Pueblo  Alto,  which  can  scarcely  be  seen  from  the  valley,  is 
situated,  like  the  cliff-houses,  at  the  top  of  a  hill  of  consider- 
able height.  It  is  reached  by  a  flight  of  twenty-eight  steps 
roughly  cut  in  the  rock,  and  on  either  side  holes  can  be  made 
out,  in  which  the  hands  could  be  placed  to  facilitate  the 
ascent.  Arrived  at  the  Mesa  we  find  ourselves  opposite  a 
building  forming  a  parallelogram,  presenting  every  appear- 
ance of  great  antiquity,  and  probably  much  older  than  any 
of  the  structures  in  the  valley.  Close  by  we  see  a  huge  heap 
of  rubbish  of  all  kinds,  chiefly  fragments  of  pottery.  This 
heap  has  been  measured  by  American  engineers,  who  esti- 
mate its  contents  at  25,000  cubic  feet.  We  cart  but  repeat 
our  regrets  that  the  explorers  could  not  undertake  any  ex- 
cavations, which  would  doubtless  have  aided  in  the  elucida- 
tion of  the  problems  we  have  stated. 

The  traveller  is  well  rewarded  for  the  fatigue  of  the  ascent 
of  the  Pueblo  Alto.  Beneath  his  feet  he  sees  the  ruins 
rising  from  every  part  of  the  Chaco  Cafion,  wh'le  beyond 
stretches  a  vast  panorama  ;  on  the  north  the  basin  of  the 
San  Juan  and  the  La  Plata  chain  ;  on  the  east  the  Sierra 
Tunccha ;  on  the  south  the  snowy  crest  of  the  Sierra  San 
Mateo  ;  on  the  west  the  Jemez  Mountains,  overlooked  by  the 
Pelado  with  its  eternal  snows.  All  else  is  changed,  nature 
alone  has  remained  immovable,  and  the  man  of  the  19th 
century  enjoys  the  same  view,  alike  imposing  and  attractive, 
which  must  have  charmed  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  the 
pueblo. 

At  the  Chettro-Kettle  Pueblo,  General  Simpson,  during 
his  first  exploration,  was  able  to  examine  a  chamber  .still  in 
a  remarkable  state  of  preservation.'  We  cannot  do  better 
than  quote  the  description  he  gives,  which  proves  that  the 

'  "Journal  of  Lieutenant  James  A.  Simpson  in  the  Report  of  the  Secretary 
of  War"  ;  31st.  Congress,   1st  Session.     (Senate)  Ex.  Doc.  No.  64,  pp.  79,  80. 


TIJE   CLIFF  DWELLERS. 


235 


ry 
!o. 


men  of  old,  buried  though  they  were  in  regions  so  difficult 
of  approach,  knew  how  to  build  their  home  with  as  much 
art  as  the  people  whom  we  have  been  in  the  habit  of  look- 
ing upon  as  the  initiators  of  civilization. 

"  This  room,"  says  General  Simpson,  "  is  fourteen  feet 
wide  by  seventeen  and  a  half  feet  long,  and  ten  feet  in 
elevation.  It  has  an  outside  door-way  three  and  a  half 
feet  high  by  two  and  a  quarter  wide,  and  one  at  its  west 
end,  leading  into  the  adjoining  room,  two  feet  wide,  and 
at  present,  on  account  of  rubbish,  only  two  and  a  half 
feet  high.  The  stone  walls  still  have  their  plaster  upon 
them,  in  a  tolerable  state  of  preservation.  On  the  south 
wall  is  a  recess  or  niche  three  feet  two  inches  high  by  four 
feet  five  inches  wide  and  four  feet  deep.  Its  position  and 
size  naturally  suggested  the  idea  that  it  might  have  been  a 
fireplace  ;  but  if  so,  the  smoke  must  have  returned  to  the 
room,  as  there  was  no  chimney  outlet  for  it.  In  addition  to 
this  large  recess,  there  were  three  smaller  ones  in  the  same 
wall.  The  ceiling  showed  two  main  beams,  laid  trans- 
versely; on  these  longitudinally  were  a  number  of  smaller 
ones  in  juxtaposition  ;  the  ends  being  tied  together  by  a 
species  of  wooden  fibre,  and  the  interstices  chinked  in  with 
small  stones.  On  these  again  transversely,  in  close  contact, 
was  a  kind  of  lathing  of  the  odor  and  appearance  of  cedar, 
all  in  a  good  state  of  preservation."  Jackson,  who  visited 
these  ruins  twenty-eight  years  later  than  General  Simpson, 
did  not  find  this  room  north-west  of  the  main  building,'  but 
he  mentions  others  no  less  curious,  which  were  reached  by 
holes  made  in  the  masonry,  the  first  story  alone  having  a 
series  of  little  windows.  The  walls  of  the  Chettro-Kettle 
Pueblo  measured  935  feet  long  by  forty  high,  and  contained 
315,000  cubic  feet  of  masonry.  When  we  remember  that 
each  stone  making  up  this  sum  total  had  to  be  hewn  from 
the  quarry,  carried  a  considerable  distance,  dressed  and  set 
in  its  place  ;  further  that  the  posts  had  to  be  brought  from 
a  long  way  off  and  the  openings  to  be  made,  it  is  difficult 

'  "  Ruins  of  S.  VV.  Colorado  in  1875  and  1877,"  p.  439. 


W 


^  } 


.1 


:f.| 


1  [;  '  < 


m 


1  • 


236 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


to  avoid  concluding  that  a  great  number  of  workmen,  di- 
rected by  skilful  architects,  must  have  been  employed  on 
this  building,  which  at  least  in  the  art  of  masonry,  marks  an 
advanced  stage  of  culture. 

The  same  remarks  apply  with  equal  force  to  a  pueblo  on 
the  banks  of  the  Las  Animas  River,  which  flows  into  the 
San  Juan  about  sixty  miles  from  the  Chaco  Cafion.  This 
pueblo  has  been  visited  by  the  Hon.  L.  H.  Morgan,  and  de- 
scribed by  him  with  scrupulous  fidelity .'  The  chief  build- 
ing, 368  feet,  and  its  two  wings.  270  feet  long,  are  higher  than 
any  others  yet  discovered.  They  contained  five,  perhaps 
even  six,  stories,  and  seventy  rooms  or  cells  on  each  story. 
The  walls,  never  less  than  two  feet,  arc  here  and  there  three 
,  feet  six  inches  thick.  Some  of  the  rooms  communicate 
with  each  other  by  trap-doors ;  others  have  two  doors  and 
four  lateral  openings,  small  enough,  it  is  true,  but  at  least 
admitting  air  and  lignt,  luxuries  nearly  unknown  amongst 
these  people.  There  too  we  find  estufas  ;  there  are  two  in 
the  principal  structure,  a  third  in  a  building  annexed  to  it, 
and  a  fourth,  sixty-three  feet  and  a  half  in  diameter,  rises 
in  the  centre  of  the  court. 

There  are  other  pueblos,  nearly  as  large,  in  the  valley  of 
Las  Animas,  but  Morgan  estimates  its  population  at  only 
five  thousand  at  a  time  when  all  the  pueblos  were  inhabited. 

At  the  other  end  of  New  Mexico  there  are  ruins  no  less  re- 
markable," and  there  is  so  great  a  resemblance  between  them 
and  those  we  have  been  describing  that  it  is  impossible  not 
to  attribute  them  to  the  same  races  and  the  same  period. 
These  pueblos  are  scattered  over  the  whole  of  that  part  of 
the  valley  of  the  Rio  Grande  bounded  on  the  north  by  the 
Rio  de  las  Frijoles,  on  the  south  by  the  San  Domingo,  on 
the  east  by  the  plateau  stretching  away  to  Santa  Fe. 

We  choose  from  among  these  ruins  those  in  the  valley  of 
the  Rio  Pecos,  a  little  river  flowing  into  the  Rio  Grande,  in 

'  "On  the  Ruins  of  a  Stone  Pueblo  on  the  Animas  River  in  New  Mex- 
ico." Am.  Assoc.  St. Louis,  1877.    "Report,  Peabody  Museum,"  vol.  II.,  p. 536. 

'A.  F.  Bandelier :  "  Report  on  the  Ruins  of  the  Pueblo  of  Pecos."  Arch.  In- 
stitute of  America,"  Boston,   1881. 


t*4t-«..—  . 


THE  CLIFF  DWELLERS. 


237 


the  neighborhood  of  which  are  found  rich  placctas,  as  the 
Spanish  called  mines  containing  precious  metals,  and  ^-^W/Zo^, 
in  which  blue  and  green  turquoises  are  still  found.  Bande- 
lier  has  recently  visited  the  Rio  Pecos  valley,  which  is  from 
twenty  to  twenty-five  miles  long  by  six  to  eight  wide,  and  is 
situated  at  a  height  of  six  thousand  three  hundred  and  forty- 
six  feet.'  We  cannot  do  better  than  follow  his  description 
of  the  chief  buildings,  supplementing  it,  however,  from  other 
sources,  and  will  retain  the  initials  A  and  B,  by  which  he 
designates  two  groups,  the  name  and  history  of  which  are 
both  completely  unknown. 

The  Pueblo  B  rises  on  a  mesa  overlooking  the  Rio  Pecos. 
Its  foundations  rest  on  siliceous  rock,  and  the  arrangements 
of  the  building  vary  according  to  the  sinuosities  or  asperities 
of  the  site,  so  that  they  are  far  from  presenting  that  regu- 
larity which  strikes  us  so  forcibly  in  the  pueblos  of  the  Chaco 
or  of  the  MacElmo.  The  building  is  four  hundred  and 
forty  feet  long  by  sixty-three  at  its  widest  portion.  It  has 
no  lateral  w'ings,  no  internal  court,  and  for  the  first  time  we 
find  no  estufa.  As  many  as  five  hundred  and  seven  cells 
have  been  counted,  separated  by  very  thin  division  walls. 
The  largest  measure  nine  feet  by  si.xteen,  the  smallest  seven 
feet  by  nine.  Bandelicr  estimates  their  height  at  seven  feet 
and  a  half,  and  if  his  calculation  be  correct  the  total  height 
of  the  building  would  be  thirty-six  feet.  How  could  such  a 
tiny  place  be  the  home  of  a  human  being?' 

Very  different  layers  can  be  made  out  in  the  masonry ; 
some  are  of  gray  or  red  schistous  sandstone,  others  of  a 
conglomerate  formed  of  a  quantity  of  stones  varying  in  size 
from  that  of  a  pea  to  that  of  a  nut.  One  part  only,  consid- 
ered the  most  recent,  is  of  adobes  of  considerable  size,  measur- 
ing eleven  inches  by  si.x.     The  inside  surface  of  the  masonry 

'Emory:  "Notes  of  a  Military  Reconnoisance  from  Fort  Leavenworth 
in  Kansas  to  San  Diejjo  in  California."     Washington,  1848. 

'Castafleda  de  Nagera  :  "Relation  du  Voy.  de  Cibola."  Juan  Jaravillo  ; 
"  App.  VI.,  Ternaux  Compans,"  series  I.,  vol.  IX.  G.  Castafio  de  la  Cosa  : 
"  Memoria  del  Descubrimiento  que  — hizo  en  el  Nuevo  Mexico,"  Mexico, 
1590  ;  Doc.  ined.  de  los  Archives  de  Indias,  vol.  XV.,  p.  244. 


TW 


Hi 


ir^ 


338 


PRE-HISTOKIC  AMERICA. 


is  covered  with  a  very  carefully  spread  white  coating,  the 
constituents  of  which  could  not  be  determined,  and  the  walls 
arc  strengthened  with  posts  of  cedar  or  pine  wood  imbedded 
in  the  masonry  in  their  natural  state,  only  the  bark  having 
been  removed.  Other  posts  served  as  supports  to  the  floor, 
consisting  of  brushwood,  chips  of  wood,  and  a  thick  coating 
of  moistened  clay,  this  arrangement  being  the  same  as  that 
described  above.  No  trace  has  been  found  of  side-doors  or 
staircases  ;  the  different  stories,  which  are  placed  one  behind 
the  other,  were  reached  by  trap-doors.  Castafleda,  speaking 
of  one  of  the  earliest  of  the  expeditions  of  the  Spanish,  that 
of  1540,  in  which  he  took  part,  relates  that  the  roof  of  the 
houses  formed  terraces,  by  which  the  inhabitants  passed 
from  one  to  the  other.  Such  doubtless  had  also  been  their 
mode  of  communication.  We  may  add  that  it  is  the  plan 
still  in  use  amongst  the  Indians  of  Zufii,  Moqui,  Acoma,  and 
Taos ;  no  change  has  taken  place  in  these  secular  customs. 

In  one  of  the  rooms  some  cinders  and  fragments  of  char- 
coal have  been  picked  up,  sole  traces  of  the  domestic  hearth. 
It  was  impossible  to  ascertain  what  method  was  employed 
to  ensure  the  escape  of  the  smoke,  but  this  was  probably 
because  of  the  state  of  dilapidation  in  which  the  building 
was  found,  as  General  Simpson  describes  a  hole  for  the 
escape  of  the  smoke  exactly  above  the  hearth  in  the  San 
Domingo  Pueblo. 

Pueblo  A.  is  situated  on  the  north  of  Pueblo  B.  It  in- 
cludes several  buildings  surrounding  a  court.  The  height  of 
these  buildings  must  have  varied  very  much ;  that  on  the 
east  was  five,  that  on  the  north  two,  and  that  on  the  south  four 
stories  high.'  Bandelier  gives  the  size  of  the  court  as  two 
hundred  and  ten  feet  by  sixty-three.  The  perimeter  of  the 
whole  is  one  thousand  one  hundred  and  ninety  feet,  and  as 
many  as  five  hundred  and  eighty-five  rooms  have  been 
counted.  This  pueblo  is  the  largest  hitherto  discovered. 
Its  construction  differs  in  no  respect  from  that  of  those 
already  described ;  no  staircase,  window,  or  hearth  is  to  be 


'  Bandelier,  /.  f.,  p.  78. 


THE   CUFF  DWELLERS. 


239 


seen,  and  three  little  estufas  recall  the  usual  customs  of  the 
people  under  notice.  Mr.  E.  Lee  Childe,  in  a  recent  publica- 
tion {Correspondent,  loth  Nov.,  1881),  describes  an  Indian 
village  of  New  Me.xico  which  he  had  just  visited.  "Before 
us,"  he  says,  "  on  the  right  and  the  left,  are  two  rows  of  these 
adobe  habitations,  low,  with  no  openings  outward,  no  doors, 
no  staircases.  The  flat  terraced  roofs  are  reached  by  a  mov- 
able outside  ladder.  All  the  windows  and  doors  open  on  to 
an  inside  court,  which  can  only  be  reached  by  going  down 
another  ladder.  Each  house  is  thus  a  kind  of  little  fort,  into 
which,  the  ladder  once  withdrawn,  neither  man  nor  beast 
can  penetrate.  This  tribe  forms  part  of  the  Pueblo  Indians, 
who  have  adopted  agricultural  customs,  cultivating  the 
ground  and  breeding  cattle."  Does  not  this  read  like  a 
description  of  the  ancient  dwellings  we  are  endeavoring  to 
make  known  ? 

I 

Round  about  the  pueblos  and  inside  the  different  cells 
have  been  picked  up  innumerable  fragments  of  pottery, 
arrow-points,  chips  of  obsidian,  black  lava,  agates,  jasper, 
quartz,  stone  axes  and  hammers,  and  copper  rings.  Among 
those  objects  we  must  mention  especially  two  little  earthen- 
ware figures,  very  like  the  idols  of  the  Mexicans.  Thus  far 
this  is  the  only  fact  that  throws  any  light  on  the  religion  of 
the  inhabitants  of  the  pueblos.' 

This  habitation  in  common,  these  cells  all  exactly  resem- 
bling one  another,  with  the  absence  of  any  larger  residence, 
point  to  the  conclusion  that  the  men  of  the  pueblos  led  a 
communal  existence.''     "  The  next  morning,"  says  a  recent 

'  The  researches  of  Mr.  Frank  Gushing  at  the  Zufii  I'ueblo  will  doubtless 
throw  a  flood  of  light  on  the  whole  subject.  The  few  preliminary  words  which 
have  appeared  in  the  Century  Magazine  and  elsewhere  promise  the  most  inter- 
esting results.  Mr.  Gushing  is  now  (18S4)  about  to  prepare  his  final  report. 
Ant.  de  Espejo :  "  El  Viaje  tjue  hizo  en  el  anno  de  ochenia  y  ires."  Hakluyt, 
"  Voyages,"  vol.  III.  If  we  accept  Goronado's  account  Pecos  was  alre.iily  in 
ruins  in  1540.  Later,  under  the  direction  of  the  Franciscans,  the  pueblo  was  re- 
built, a  church  and  convent  erected,  and  in  1680  the  population  exceeded  2,000. 
Vetancurt ;  "  Cronica,"  p.  300.     Bandelier,  /.  c,  p.  I20  ct  seq. 

'  Bandelier,  /.  c,  pp.  54,  60,  %q,  et  seq.  Force,  Cong,  des  Am.,  Luxem- 
bourg, 1877,  p.  16. 


24© 


PKE-lllsrONlC  AMENICA. 


\\ 


trcivcllcr,  "  I  was  waked  at  dawn  b\'  a  strange  chant.  Hav- 
ing; at  once  drawn  aside  the  curtains  of  the  ambulance,  I 
dimly  made  out  tiie  profile  of  the  chief,  who  was  standing  at 
the  summit  of  the  pueblo.  When  he  had  finished  ciiantinj;, 
he  gave  out  a  jiroclamation.  Me  had  scarcely  finished  when 
I  '^aw  figures  moving  rapidly.  It  was  explained  to  me  that 
the  chant  of  the  chief  was  an  act  of  adoration,  and  the  object 
of  the  proclamation  was  to  make  known  what  was  to  be  the 
task  of  the  different  families  made  up  of  the  five  hundred 
persons  living  in  the  pueblo."  The  present  may  help  us  to 
understand  the  past.  They  were  certainly  an  agricultural 
race,  for  every  sedentary  population  must  be  so  from  mere 
force  of  circumstances.  Moreover,  near  the  Rio  Pecos  culti- 
vated fields  iiave  been  made  out,  and  irrigative  works  of 
considerable  extent,  including  acajuias  or  large  canals,  and 
zanjas  or  irrigating  ditches.  This  was  doubtless  the  Hucrta 
-del pueblo,  the  garden  cultivated  b\'all  in  common.  In  many 
places  the  outlines  have  been  traced  of  fields  in  which  maize 
was  cultivated,  and  these  fields  are  remarkable  for  the 
luxuriant  growth  of  a  robust  variety  of  sun-flower.  The 
common  property  was  uniler  the  same  kind  of  government 
as  that  generall)'  adopted  in  Mexico  before  the  Spanish  Con- 
quest. The  land,  the  jjroj^erty  of  all,  was  divided  every  year 
amongst  the  different  families  forming  the  tribe,  who  were 
probably  very  closely  related  to  each  other.  But  each 
family  had  a  right  to  the  produce  of  the  toil  of  its  members  ; 
they  reaped  the  seed  they  sowed,  they  gathered  the  fruits 
they  planted.  These  assertions  seem  to  be  well  founded  ; 
for  according  to  Mariano  Ruiz,  who  lived  for  a  long  time 
amongst  the  Pecos  Indians,  this  mode  of  cultivation  was  till 
recentl)-  practised  by  them  ;  in  fact  it  lasted  until  the  extinc- 
tion of  the  tribe,  and  to  quote  their  own  words:  "  La  tierras 
son  del  pueblo,  pero  cada  uno  piede  vender  sus  cosechas." 

The  Cliff  Dwellers  and  inhabitants  of  the  pueblos  have 
left  behind  them  as  many  fragments  of  pottery  as  the  Mound 
Builders.  Jackson  tells  us  that  all  who  have  visited  these 
regions  have  been   strongly  impressed  by  the  fragments  of 


i 


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IS 
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d 
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THE   CLIFF  DWELLERS. 


24 1 


pottery  everywhere  strewing  their  path,  and  that  even  in 
parts  where  no  vestiye  of  human  habitation  has  been  found. 
The  pottery  was  doubtless  of  a  kind  to  enable  it  to  last 
lont^er  than  the  adobes,  which  have  crumbled  to  dust.  Ban- 
delier,  again,  in  speaking  of  the  ruins  of  the  Rio  Pecos,  says 
that  wagon-loads  of  painted  pottery  lie  at  the  feet  of  the  tra- 
veller ;  and  Schoolcraft'  speaks  of  the  profusion  of  fragments 
of  pottery  left  behind  theni  by  the  ancient  tribes  who  lived 
on  the  banks  of  the  Rio  Gila,  as  jiroofs  of  their  long  resi- 
dence there.  Holmes  is  even  more  explicit,  and,  according 
t(j  him,  the  number  of  these   fragments   is  quite  confusing. 


Fig,  104. — Vasts  found  on  the  banks  of  the  San  Jii.in. 

On  a  surface,  1  ouglily  estimated  at  ten  feet  scjuare,  he  was  able 
to  pick  up  fragments  belonging  to  fifty-fi\e  different  vases, 
jars  or  amphor;e,  dishes  or  bottles.  All  explorations  lead 
to  the  same  results,  and  everywhere  the  heaps  of  frag- 
ments of  all  kinds  are  of  much  greater  iinportance  than  those 
found  at  the  present  day  near  villages  occupied  by  seden- 
tary Indians.  To  explain  this,  recourse  has  been  had  to  a 
strange  supposition.  It  has  been  said  that  the  inhabitants 
of  the  country,  forced  to  flee  before  a  sudden  invasion,  had 
broken  their  crockery  before  leaving  their  hearths  forever — 
either  under  the  influence   of  a  superstitious  horror,  or  to 

'  "Archives  of  Aboriginal  Knowledge,"  vol.  III.,  p.  83. 


PiM 


1    »w 

'II 


' 


j 


242 


PA'£.///S  TORIC  AMLRICA. 


m 


Ml 


prevent   their    property  becoming  the  booty   of   a   hated 
enemy. 

What  is  more  certain  is,  that  the  pieces  of  pot- 
tery found  on  the  surface  of  the  ground  show  no  signs 
of  deterioration,  although  they  have  been  subjected 
for  centuries  to  all  the  inclemencies  of  the  seasons. 
Generally,  the  earthenware  of  the  Cliff  Dwellers  is  far 
superior  to  that  of  the  Mound  Builders  (fig.  104)  ;  it 
was  made  of  a  fine  clay,  very  plentiful  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  the  homes  of  the  Cliff  Dwellers,  and,  to  give  it  con- 


Fu;.  105. — Funeral  urn  found  in  Utah. 

sistcncy,  this  clay  was  mixed  with  a  small  quantity  of  sand,, 
bits  of  shell,  or  even  with  pellets  of  earth  moulded  and 
baked.  Often  after  kneading  his  clay,  the  potter  cut  it  into 
thin  strips,  which  he  laid  one  upon  the  other,  giving  them 
the  form  recjuired  with  his  hand.  This  is  the  mode  still  em- 
ployed in  the  glass-works  of  Europe  in  making  crucibles  and 
"other  things  recpiiring  delicate  workmanship.  We  give  a 
figure  (fig.  105)  of  a  jar,  or  funeral  urn,  found  in  Utah,  near 
a  structure  of  adobes  now  completely  in  ruins.'  This  illus- 
tration will  help  us  to  understand  the  details  of  the  manu- 

'  This  jar  belongs  to  the  Peabody  Museum,  and  is  capable  of  holding  three, 
gallons  ;  another,  found  near  Epsom  Creek,  holds  no  less  than  ten  gallons. 


. 


rut:   CUFF  DWELLERS. 


243 


» 


ind,. 

id 

into 

:m 

Icni- 

aiid 

I'c  a 

icar 

lus- 


facture.  All  the  pieces  of  pottery  found  had  been  subjected 
to  the  heat  of  fire;  and,  although- that  heat  had  never  been 
great  enough  to  change  the  original  color  of  the  clay,  the 
baking  had  made  them  so  hard  that,  when  struck,  they  give 
out  a  very  clear  metallic  sound.  Lightness  was  evidently  a 
quality  much  esteemed  ;  the  internal  and  external  surfaces 
were  carefully  smoothed  before  baking,  and  the  workman 
often  succeeded  in  making  the  body  of  the  largest  pots  no 
thicker  than  a  quarter  of  an  inch.  A  great  many  of  these 
pots  retain  traces  of  paintings,  and  several  have  been  coated 
with  a  varnish  converted  by  baking  into  a  brilliant  polish, 
worthy  to  be  compared  with  that  of  our  modern  enamelled 
manufactures.  Beneath  some  sepulchral  mounds  near  the 
Great  Salt  Lake  have  been  found  some  pieces  of  pottery,  in- 
ferior in  execution  to  those  of  Ohio  and  Mississippi,  which 
still  retain  this  polish.  These  jars  contained  burnt  human 
bones,  yet  another  proof  of  the  practice  of  cremation  at  cer- 
tain periods  by  certain  races.' 

The  varnish  was  generally  black,  blue,  or  brown,  more 
rarely  red  or  white.  We  do  not  know  what  were  its  constitu- 
ents ;  they  varied  probably  according  to  the  locality.  We 
know  for  instance  that  the  Spanish  found  some  vases  in  the 
pueblos  that  were  full  of  varnish  ready  for  use,'  and  at  the 
present  day  the  people  of  Guatemala  use  a  resinous  gum  to 
coat  the  surface  of  their  pottery  when  they  take  it  from  the 
fire."  A  vase  is  mentioned  found  at  Ojo  Calienta,  New 
Mexico,  still  covered  with  a  very  fine  powder  of  mica ; 
so  that  this  may  have  been  yet  another  mode  employed. 

The  decoration  of  the  vases  is  generally  executed  with 
great  precision  ;  the  ornaments  stand  out  from  the  surface 
either  in  relief  or  in  a  different  color.*  Some,  for  instance, 
are  black  on  a  red  or  white  ground.  A  few  of  the  fragments 
picked  up  are  of  a  bronze  color,  but  it  is  impossible  to  say 

'  Bancroft  :  Loc.  cit.,  vol.  IV.,  p.  714. 

'  "  Castafledade  Nagera  :  "  Rel.  du  Voyage  de  Cibola,"  Ternaux  Compans, 
vol.  IV.,  first  series. 

"  Bancroft  :   !.  c,  vol.  I.,  p.  398. 

*Cli.  Ran        Indian  Pottery,"  "Smith.  Con.,"  i860,  vol.  XVT. 


\    h\ 


1    , 

I 

:  :5l 


i 


' 


T1 


! 


\'i 


'I.  t ' 


ill 


244 


PRE-HIS  TORIC  A  MEKIC.  I . 


by  what  processes  this  color  was  obtained.'  Fragments  have 
also  often  been  found  on  which  lines  and  geometrical  draw- 
ings have  been  traced,  as  among  the  Mound  Builders,  with  a 
pointed  instrument  or  with  the  nail  of  the  potter;  other 
vases  have  more  complicated  designs,  which  by  a  very 
remarkable  coincidence  resemble  to  a  positively  confusing 
degree  those  of  the  Etruscans  (figs.  T04  and  106).  The  draw- 
ings on  the  potteiy  of  Arizona  resemble  the  ornaments 
traced  on  the  walls  of  the  temple  of  Mitla,  which  again  re- 
call the  processes  used  in  ornamentation  by  the  ancient 
people  of  Italy." 


Fk;,    ioO. — Fragments  of  ]ioUcry. 

Other  pieces  of  potter}-  are  covered  with  representations 
of  human  fitrures  and  of  animals.  A  frasjment  is  mentioned 
as  having  been  for.nd  on  the  banks  of  the  Gila  on  which  an 
unknown  artist  had  engraved  a  turtle  ;  another  was  s  pposed 
to  represent  the  head  of  a  monkey.  I5irds  are  numerous, 
and  while  the  Mound  Builders  appear  to  have  preferred  the 
duck  as  a  model  the  Cliff  Dwellers  generally  chose  the  owl 

'  Putnam  :    6'////  of  the  Essex  Iiisii'.ite,  1880. 

"IIofTmap  :  "  Ethn.  OIjs.  on  Indians  Inhabiti.  it  Nevada,  California,  and 
Arizona,"  U.  S.  Gaol.  Survey,  187C,  p.  454.  liie  modern  pueblo  pottery, 
which  is  produced  in  enormous  quantities,  begins  to  show  evidences  of  the  influ- 
ence of  civilization  and  of  modification  for  an  arclixological  market.  Collec- 
tors should  be  on  their  guard  against  pots  with  the  "  Swastika"  o'l  them,  or 
other  equally  remarkable  designs,  which  are  now,  it  appears,  manufactured  to 
order,     Cf,    Putnam  :  "  Peabody  Museum  Report,"  for  1882. 


THE    CLIFF  DWELLERS. 


245 


an 


md 


to 


or  the  parrot.  To  sum  up  :  if  the  pottery  of  the  ClifT 
Dwellers  is  superior  to  that  found  in  the  mounds  it  still  more 
excels  that  now  manufactured  by  the  potters  of  the  Rio 
Grande  or  of  the  San  Juan.  The  Moqui  and  Zufli  Indians 
know  very  well  how  to  make  potterj',  and  to  produce  the 
symmetrical  forms  or  artistic  ornamentation  characteristic 
of  the  ceramic  work  of  their  predecessors  inhabitants  of  the 
pueblos. 

A  few  implements  of  quartz  or  other  rock  of  various  kinds 
are,  with  the  pottery  just  noticed,  nenrlv  the  sole  relics  of 
this  ancient  civilization  v  hich  have  com(,'  down  to  us. 
Arrow-points  are  often  found  at  the  foot  of  the  clift-houses 
and  round  about  the  pueblos.  They  bear  witness,  as  we 
have  already  remarked,  to  the  constant  struggle  in  which 
the  men  under  notice  passed  their  lives,  compelled  to  be 
always  defending  their  homes.  Near  the  Rio  Mancos  has 
been  found  a  polished  celt  exactly  similar  to  those  cf  Eu- 
rope.' This  celt  was  eight  inches  long  by  two  and  a  half  at 
its  widest  part.  One  side  is  slightly  concave,  the  other  per- 
fectly flat.  It  was  hidden  in  one  of  the  cells  of  a  cliff-house 
under  a  heap  of  maize.  A  polished  scraper  of  silicious  schist 
has  also  turned  up,  which  may  have  been  used  to  prepare 
skins,  schist  being  too  brittle  to  be  used  either  for  drilling 
or  hammering  purposes. 

A  good  many  metates  or  stone  hand-mills  for  grinding 
corn  have  also  been  found.  These  consist  of  blocks  of 
basalt,  naturally  concave  or  artificially  rendered  so,  upon 
which  another  stone  was  pushed  backward  and  forward, 
which  fact  supplies  us  with  another  proof  that  the  Cliff 
Dwellers  were  an  essentially  agricultural  people,  living  on 
the  produce  of  the  fields  they  tilled.  These  metates  are  at 
present  in  common  use  on  the  borders  of  Mexico,  both  by 
Indians  and  by  the  not  much  more  civilized  "  greasers."  It 
is  a  curious  fact  that  these  people  often  obtain  their  metates, 
here,  as  in  Yucatan,  from  the  ancient  pueblos  or  mounds. 

Lastly,  a  mat  made  of  rushes  may  be   referred  to,  of  a 

•Holmes  :  U.  S.  Geog.  Survey,  pi.  XLVI. 


\\\ 


I  t 


;i; 


246 


PRE-HISTORIC  A.UEKfC.I. 


i      I 


l\ 


variety  {Scirpus  valictiis)  still  very  common  o\\  the  banks  of 
the  Mancos.  Some  ropes  woven  of  the  fibres  of  the  yucca, 
some  sea-shells,  a  few  amulets  in  stone  or  turquoise,  a  few- 
bead  necklaces,  and  our  list  is  closed.  We  have  alluded  to 
the  very  small  number  of  excavations  hitherto  undertaken, 
and  the  obstacles  which  checked  the  explorers,  zealous  as 
they  were  in  the  cause  of  science  ;  and  it  will  readily  be  be- 
lieved that  very  few  of  the  objects  left  on  the  surface  of  the 
ground  were  likely  to  escape  the  rapacity  of  the  Utes  aiul 
Navajos,  who  are  always  wanderint^  about  amonjjst  the  ruins. 

It  is  remarkable  that,  except  for  the  copper  rings  found 
at  Pecos,  not  a  weapon  or  ornament  of  metal  has  been  found.' 
Were  such  articles  carried  off  b\'  the  Indians,  or  were  the 
early  inhabitants  of  the  pueblos  of  New  Mexico  and  Colorado 
ignorant  of  iron  and  bronze  ?  This  latter  hypothesis  seems 
probable,  for  the  roughly  squaretl  beams  supporting  their 
home  appear  to  have  been  shaped  with  stcMie  implements. 
We  cannot  pronounce  a  decided  opinion  on  the  question,  for 
it  can  only  be  decided  by  scientifically  conducted  excavations. 

Among  the  most  vemarkable  characteristics  of  the  archa.-- 
ology  of  the  region  are  the  paintings,  sculptures,  and 
engravings  on  rocks,  met  with  in  New  Mexico,  Arizona,  Col- 
orado, and  even  in  Texas.  Among  others  which  may  be 
cited  are  those  of  the  Sierra -Waco,  thiity  miles  from  El  Paso. 

These  rock-drawings  have  caused  the  coinage  of  a  new 
\\'o\\\,  pictograpJty,  which  we  use  in  our  turn,  although  we  are 
by  no  means  persuaded,  as  are  certain  arclueologists,  that  the 
Cliff  Dwellers  intended  by  means  of  pictography  to  give  a 
record  of  their  own  history,  the  struggles  in  which  they  had 
taken  part,  their  migrations  or  their  haunts.  The  figures 
are,  as  a  rule,  of  such  great  simplicity  that  the  descendants  of 
the  artists  could  learn  nothing  from  them  of  the  main  facts 
of  the  history  of  their  ancestors.  It  is  more  probable  that 
these  figures,  curious  though  the)'  be,  were  generally  the 
outcome  of  the  painter's  or  sculptor's  fancy. 

'"  The  implements  and  ornaments  are  not  numerous,  incluiiu  no  articles  of 
any  metal  whatever,  and  do  not  differ  materially  from  the  articles  now  in  use 


r.mong  the  Pnehlo  Tndiin^ 


-I'nncrofi,  /.  c,  vol   W .,  p.  677, 


^ 


THE    CUFF  DWELLERS. 


^4/ 


It  is  not  only  on  the  rocks  that  \\c  find  the  representations 
untler  notice  ;  tiie  numerous  erratic  blocks  of  the  vallc}-  of 
the  Gila  are  covered  with  rou^hlv  outlined  fisrures  of  men 
and  of  animals  '  (fig.  I071.  liut  it  is  chiefly  on  the  banks  of 
the  Mancos  and  the  San  Juan,  and  in  the  caflons  stretching 


KiG.  roy, — Euatic  blocks  covered  wilh  figures.     Arizona. 

away  westward,  that  these  pictographs  al)i)uiKl.  Some  are 
cut  into  the  rock  to  a  depth  var\-ing  from  a  (piarter  to  half 
an  inch  ^  I  figs  loS  ami  109);  others  are  merel_\-  traced  in 
broad  red  or  white  lines.      The  former,  in  main'  cases  at  an 


'  Ikirtk'tt  :    "  IVrsoiuil  N\iir.itivo,"  vol. 
MIolnics:  pis.  XI, II.  ;in  1   Xl.III. 


II.,  p|i.  i()5,  206. 


m 


248 


PRE-HISrORIC  AMERICA. 


all  but  inaccessible  height,  must  have  involved  considerable 
toil.  Are  they  the  work  of  the  Cliff  Dwellers  ?  Nearly  every 
thing  points  to  the  conclusion  that  they  are,  for  they  are 
almost  all  near  the  cliff-houses.  We  must  add,  however, 
that  inscriptions  and  figures  are,  on  the  other  hand,  vcrj-  rare 
near  the  most  ancient  pueblos ;  and  the  most  recent  are 
often,  perhaps,  of  later  date  than  the  Spanish  Conquest. 
The  appearance  of  these  inscriptions  might  have  warranted 
us  in  attributing  them  to  pre-historic  Cliff  Dwellers,  had  not 
one  of  them  represented  a  horse,'  and  we  know  that  this, 
animal  was  unknown  in  America  before  the  arrival  of  the 
conquerors. 

We  must  also  notice  a  figure  resembling  rudely  a  hatchet 
(fig.  109),  met  with  repeatedly  in  these  engravings.  Its  form 
recalls  the  hatchets  engraved  on  the  megalithic  monuments 
of  Brittany.  This  is  a  curious  fact,  but  its  importance  must 
not  be  overrated. 

Among  the  most  interesting  of  the  engravings  on  rock 
we  will  mention  one  on  the  banks  of  the  San  Juan,  about 
ten  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  La  Plata.  It  represents  a 
long  series  of  men,  animals,  and  even  birds  with  long  necks 
and  long  legs,  all  going  in  the  same  direction."  Two  men 
arc  standing  up  in  a  sledge  harnessing  a  deer  which  may  be 
supposed  to  be  a  reindeer,  and  other  men  follow  or  direct 
the  march.  These  engravings  are  evidently  connected  with 
the  migration  of  a  tribe. 

Jackson  also  speaks  of  a  cliff  near  the  MacElmo  covered 
for  an  area  of  si.xty  square  feet  with  figures  of  men,  stags 
and  lizards,  and  Bandelier  speaks  of  pictographs'  the  weather- 
worn condition  of  which  testifies  to  their  antiquity.  The 
latter,  situated  near  the  Pecos  ruins,  represent  the  footprints 
of  a  man  or  child,  a  human  figure  and  a  very  complete  cir- 
cle enclosing  some  small  cups  which  may  also  be  compared 
with  those   on  the   megalithic   stones  of    France.     On  the 

'Holmes;  pi.  XLII.,  fig.   2. 

'Holmes:  pi,  XUH..  fig.  i. 

'' "Ruins of  the  Rio  Peros,"  pp.  92, /•/ .?(•(/. 


! 


THE   CLIFF  DWELLERS. 


249" 


banks  of  the  Puerco  and  Zufli  rivers,'  two  of  the  tributaries 
of  the  Colorado  Chiquito,  drawings  have  been  noticed "  which 
resemble  hieroglyphics.  Their  meaning  is  unknown,  indeed 
we  cannot  even  assert  that  they  have  any  meaning. 

The  rocks  surrounding  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  the  capital 
city  of  the  Territory,  arc  covered  with  sculptures  which  re- 
mind us  of  those  of  Egypt.'     Some  of  the  human  figures  of 


Fig.  io8. — Pictography  on  the  banks  of  the  San  Juan. 


Fig.  log. — Pictographs  on  the  banks  of  the  San  Juan, 
life  size,  incised  in  very  hard  blue  granite,  arc  situated 
more  than  thirty  feet  above  the  le\-el  of  the  ground.  The 
height  at  which  some  of  these  sculptures  occur  has  suggested 
that  since  their  production  some  geological  phenomenon, 
such  as  the  depression  of  the  lake,  may  have  taken  place. 

'  It  was  on  the  banks  of  the  Zufii  that  Coronado  speaks  of  having  seen  the 
seven  villages  of  Cibola  in  1540, 

"  Mulhatlsen  :  "  Tagebuch  einer  Raise  vora  Mississippi  nach  den  Kusten  der 
Sud-See."  Leipsic,  1858. 

'  Remy  and  Brenchley  :  "A  Journey  to  the  Great  Salt  Lake  City."  London,. 
1862,  vol.  IL,  p.  362. 


I    I 


250 


PRE-IIISTORIC  A  mi:  RICA. 


This  is  yet  another  hypothesis  to  add  to  the  many  already 
noticed. 

The  desire  to  reproduce  the  figures,  animals,  and  events 
which  have  arrested  their  attention  is  one  of  the  most  char- 
acteristic features  of  the  various  American  races.  On  the 
rocks  of  Ohio  and  Wyoming  signs  have  been  noticed  which 
have  been  looked  upon  as  hieroglyphics.'  Amongst  these 
engravings  one  of  the  most  important  is  in  Licking  county; 
it  covers  a  surface  from  fifty  to  sixty  feet  long,  by  from  ten 
to  twelve  feet  wide.  Unfortunately  nearly  all  the  figures 
have  been  destroyed,  only  a  few  slight  traces  still  remaining. 
We  may  also  mention  those  of  Pcrrysburgand  Independence, 
Cuyahoga'county,  and  those  of  Belmont  county.  If  these 
really  are  inscriptions  it  is  impossible  now  to  decipher  them, 
but  there  is  little  probability  of  their  being  more  than  rude 
pictographs.  Here  and  there  beside  these  signs  we  sec  en 
graved  a  trident,  an  harpoon,  a  bear's  foot  or  a  human  hand 
or  foot,  several  of  which  are  mentioned  as  cut  into  the  rock 
to  the  depth  of  an  inch  and  a  half. 

In  Vermont,  too,  the  rocks  bathed  by  the  Connecticut 
River  are  covered  with  engravings.  On  one  of  them  a  hu- 
man figure  can  be  made  out,  on  another  twenty  heads  of 
different  sizes,  the  largest  being  twenty  inches  long  and  the 
smallest  five  inches.''  Several  of  them  have  two  rays,  two 
horns  if  you  like,  on  the  forehead,  and  the  central  figure  has 
as  many  as  six.  The  eyes  and  the  mouth  arc  indicated  by 
circular  lioles,  and  the  nose  is  nearly  always  missing.  An 
engraving  at  Brattleboro  is  still  more  curious ;  it  represents 
eleven  different  subjects,  including  mammals,  birds,  and  ser- 
pents. 

Some  similar  pictographs.  to  which  authorities  are  dis- 
posed to  assign  a  very  great  antiquity,  are  to  be  seen  on  the 
walls  of  caves  in  Nicaragua.'     One  is  mentioned  near  Nihapa 

'Whittlesey;  "Rep.  Am.  Ass.,"  Indianapolis,  1871.  Th.  Comstock,  same, 
Detroit,  1875. 

'G.  W.  Perkins  :  "  Remarks  upon  tlie  Arch,  of  Vermont,"  "  Rep.  Am.  Ass.," 
St.  Louis,  1878. 

'"Report,  Peabody  Museum,"  1880,  vol.  II.,  \\  716. 


\% 


"^Jasat^lJUB^g-'  "tjr^i^  '*J!y  I 


■(•N**i*«*«ri  -  ■■"         — — '  ■ 


THE   CUFF  DWELLERS. 


351 


representing  a  serpent  covered  with  feathers.  The  artist 
gave  imagination  full  scope.  Some  caves  in  the  mountains 
of  the  province  of  Oajaca  also  show  man's  handiwork.'  But 
here  we  only  find  clumsy  paintings  in  red  ochre.  Amongst 
these  can  be  distinguished  impressions  of  the  hand  in  black, 
recalling  those  noticed  by  Stephens  on  the  ruined  walls  of 
the  buildings  of  Uxmal.  Pinart,  in  his  journey  across  Sonora," 
met  with  a  great  many  inscriptions  on  rocks.  He  describes 
one  engraved  on  the  three  faces  of  a  basaltic  rock  near  the 
Rio  de  Bus.uiig.  Although  they  are  much  defaced,  we  can 
still  make  out  on  the  northern  face  a  human  hand,  beneath 
two  concentric  circles  grouped  round  a  central  point.  The 
upper  part  also  bears  a  number  of  little  round  holes  ar- 
ranged symmetrically,  and  on  a  second  rock  rising  above  the 
first  several  other  circles  have  been  traced. 

Near  Cahorca  rises  a  rocky  circular  hillock  to  which  the 
Papagos  have  given  the  name  of  Ko  Ka.  It  consists  of  a 
heap  of  rocks  bearing  pictographs  on  their  flat  surfaces.  In 
several  places  more  ancient  designs,  including  a  series  of 
lines  or  of  symmetrical  figures,  can  be  distinguished,  but 
they  have  been  in  a  great  measure  obliterated  by  later  in- 
scriptions traced  in  white  paint. 

Such  engravings  or  paintings  are  met  with  in  all  the  re- 
gions which  once  formed  Spanish  America.  They  are  men- 
tioned as  existing  near  the  extinct  volcano  of  Masaya,  in 
the  United  States  of  Colombia  ;  on  the  banks  of  the  Orinoco, 
in  Venezuela,  where  they  are  in  such  a  state  of  decay  that 
they  can  hardly  be  recognized  ;  on  the  Isthmus  of  Panama, 
where  they  were  noticed  as  early  as  1520  by  the  Spaniards." 
Lieutenant  Whipple  describes  them  on  the  rocks  of  Arizona. 
Professor  Kerr  on  the  Black  Mountains  near  the  sources  of 
the  Tennessee  ;  and  in  crossing  the  White  Mountains,  between 
the  towns  of  Columbus,  Nevada,  and  Benton,  California,  we 
meet  with  numerous  representations  of  men  and  animals,  or 

'  Hrasseur  de  Bourbourg  :     "  Voy,  surl'Isthme  de  Tehuantepec, "  p.  123. 

'  "Bull.  Soc.  Geog."  Paris,  Sept.,  1880. 

*  Diego  Garcia  de  Palacios  :     "  Carta  dirigada  al  Rey  de  Espafia,"  aflo  1576. 


I 


t 


(  .• 


!. 


Fig.  iio. — Specimens  of  the  rock  sculptures  of  the  Bushmen  of  South  Africa. 


252 


''  i  Hi 


li 


FiQ.  III.— Engravings  found  on  rocks  in  Algeria. 

253 


854 


PKE-HISrORIC  AMERICA. 


with  signs  that  cannot  be  deciphered.'  Neither  the  Pah 
Utes,  occupying  the  California  seaboard,  nor  the  Shavvnecs, 
who  encamp  near  Columbus,  claim  them  as  the  work  of  their 
ancestors.  Twenty  miles  south  of  Benton,  the  road  follows 
a  narrow  defile,  shut  in  on  either  side  by  almost  perpendicular 
rocks,  rising  to  a  height  of  forty  or  fifty  feet.  These  stone 
walls  are  covered  with  figures  of  unknown  origin. 

The  ancient  inhabitants  of  Tennessee  have  also  left  behind 
them  paintings  on  the  cliffs  overlooking  their  great  rivers. 
Some  represent  the  sun  and  the  moon  ;  others,  mammals,  the 
bison  for  instance."  These  paintings  were  done  in  red  ochre, 
and,  like  the  sculptures  of  Utah  referred  to  above,  they  are 
at  almost  inaccessible  heights.  A  colossal  sun,  engraved  on 
a  rock  overlooking  the  Big  Harpeth,  is  visible  four  miles  off. 
At  Buffalo  Creek  these  workmen  of  the  past  have  drawn  an 
entire  herd  of  bisons,  walking  in  single  file.  Father  Mar- 
quette, during  his  voyage  up  the  Mississippi,  saw  similar 
scenes  engraved  on  the  cliffs  between  Illinois  and  the  Mis- 
souri ;  and  more  modern  travellers  bear  witness  to  the  faith- 
fulness of  his  account.' 

In  speaking  of  South  America  we  shall  describe  rock  sculp- 
tures, similar  to  those  first  noticed  ;  but  with  regard  to  them 
wc  shall  also  be  unable  to  say  who  executed  them  or  when 
they  were  made.  The  only  conclusion  which  wc  can  arrive  at 
is  that  resemblances  exist  between  the  instincts  of  man  in 
all  regions.  Everywhere  man,  however  degraded  we  rnny 
consider  him  to  have  been,  traced  as  with  childish  vanity, 
upon  the  rocks,  on  the  walls  of  caves,  and  on  erratic  blocks, 
his  own  image  or  the  scenes  taking  place  before  his  eyes,  and 
from  this  point  of  view  nothing  could  be  more  curious  than 
a  comparison  between  the  rude  figures  of  the  Americans 
and  the  engravings  executed  by  the  Bushmen  of  South  Af- 

'  Hoffman  :  "  Ethn.  Observ.  on  Indians  Inhabiting  Nevada,  California,  and 
Arizona,"  U.  S.  Geol.  and  Geog.  Survey,  1876. 

'Jones'  "  Antiquities  of  the  Southern  Indians,"  New  York,  1873,  p.  137. 

'"Voyages  et  Decouvertes  du  P.  Marquette  dans  1'  Amerique  Septentrionale." 
Thevenot :     "  Relation  de  Divers  Voyages  Curieux,"  Paris,  1681.     J.  G.  Shea 
"  Discovery  and  Explorations  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,"  p.  41. 


THK   Cr.IFF  DWELLERS. 


ass 


rica,  (fig.  no),  or  with  those  engraved  on  the  rocks  of  Al- 
geria. This  similarity,  in  every  clime  and  at  every  period,  of 
the  taste,  instinct,  and  genius  of  man  is  the  best  proof  that 
can  be  brought  forward  of  the  common  origin  of  the  human 
race. 

As  already  stated  it  appears  certain  that  the  Cliff  Dwellers 
and  the  inhabitants  of  the  pueblos  belonged  to  the  same 
race,  and  that  this  did  not  materially  differ  from  the  Moquis. 
and  Zufiis  of  the  present  day.  The  buildings,  whether  of 
stone  or  of  adobe,  are  always  alike  and  always  regular;  the 
rooms  are  everywhere  extremely  small ;  the  absence  of  stairs 
and  of  trap-doors  giving  access  from  one  story  to  another, 
points  to  a  life  led  in  common;  and  everywhere  we  find  cstufas,^ 
places  for  meetings  alike  of  a  religious  and  secular  character. 
Both  the  Cliff  Dwellers  and  the  people  of  the  pueblos  manu- 
factured pottery  of  a  similar  kind,  and  used  the  same  kind 
of  arrow-points  and  the  same  kind  of  implements. 

All  the  relics  which  have  come  down  to  us  point  to  the 
same  conclusion,  and  it  appears  no  less  certain  that  the  peo- 
ple under  notice  differed  in  many  respects  from  the  Mound 
Builders  of  Ohio  and  Mississippi,  the  Mayas  of  Yucatan  and 
the  Nahuas  of  Mexico.  There  are  no  structures  left  by  the 
Cliff  Dwellers  resembling  cither  the  truncated  pyramids, 
mounds  shaped  like  animals,  or  other  earth  mounds  of  the 
Northern  United  States.  In  the  Territory  of  Utah,  however, 
Dr.  Parry  found  a  mound  containing  several  specimens  of 
pottery  a  good  deal  like  that  of  the  pueblos.  Dr.  Palmer, 
after  many  excavations  In  the  neighborhood,  confirmed  this 
fact,  but  added  that  the  mound  in  question  was  derived  from 
crumbled  walls,  originally  of  adobes. 

Still  less  do  they  resemble  the  palaces,  temples,  and  re- 
markable buildings  erected  by  the  Mayas  or  the  Aztecs. 
The  rarity  of  pipes,  which  are  so  numerous  amongst  the  Mound 
Builders  and  northern  Indians  is  no  less  remarkable.  VVe 
give  a  drawing  (fig.  112)  of  one  of  the  few  pipes  found  as 
yet  in  the  district  inhabited  by  the  Cliff  Dwellers.  It  is  of 
clay,  and  the  mouth-piece  is  at  the  end  of  the  handle. 


I 


'A 


?   5     '1 
:  i] 


256 


PKE-inSlOKIC  A MKNICA. 


Coronndo,  the  first  Spaniard  to  visit  these  regions,  notices 
no  resemblance  between  the  Mexicans  and  tlie  inhabitants 
of  New  Mexico.  Father  Escahinte,  who  crossed  the  country 
in  1776,  more  than  two  centni'  s  after  Coronado,  describes 
ruins  now  unknown,  pueblos  inhabited  when  he  saw  them, 
now  crumbled  to  dust ;  and  nothing  in  his  narrative  supports 
what  has  been  called  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic  the 
Aztec  theory.'  As  yet,  nothing  justifies  us  in  deciding  that 
New  Mexico  was  peopled  by  colonists  from  Anahuac.  Two 
distinct  classes  of  remains  appear  to  have  been  observed  in 
Central  America ;  the  Cliff  Dwellers  on  the  west  and  the 
Mound  l^uilders,  who  have  been  identified  by  some  with  the 
Aztecs,  on  the  east.  These  people  may  have  sprung  origi- 
nally from  the  same  source,  but  their  separation  doubtless 


f. 


Fit;.  112.- — Pipe  fouml  amongst  the  relics  of  the  Cliff  Dwellers. 

took  place  at  a  very  tlistant  period,  and  tiiere  is  not  sufficient 
evidence  yet  available  to  prove  the  case  one  way  or  the 
other.'  [ 

One  thing  is  certain  :  numerous  pueblos  existed  in  New 
Mexico  at  the  time  of  the  Spanish  invasion,  and  some  of 
them,  such  as  Zuni,  Acoma,  Taos,  Jemez,  and    Pecos  have 

'Dominguez  and  Escalante  :  "  Diario  y  Derrotero  Santa  Fe  a  Monterey," 
1776.  "  Doc.  Hist.  Mex,,"  2d  series,  vol.  I.  Short,  p.  331,  speaks  of  having 
examined  a  MS.  by  Escalante  in  the  Library  of  Congress,  Washington,  which 
confirms  this  conclusion. 

°  In  the  fifth  report  of  the  Archaeological  Institute  of  America  Bandelier  gives 
an  account  of  studies  carried  on  in  1S83  for  the  society  in  New  Mexico  and 
Arizona.  He  finds  a  well-defined  system  of  growth,  from  the  temporary  Indian 
lodge  to  the  many-storied  pueblo  building,  which  clearly  does  not  owe  its  origin 
to  anv  external  influences.  He  has  since  been  seeking  in  the  mountains  of 
Northern  Mexico  traces  of  any  possible  connection  between  the  ancient  pueblo 
people  and  the  Aztecs,  and  it  is  announced  that  his  report  of  important  studies 
■  at  Cholulaand  Mitla  is  nearly  ready  for  publication. 


L ~;^".'ii!|^-J?»jgf^wr^J'Bitji>i^  '■  i- 


n 

it 


T/fH   CLIFF  DWELLERS. 


557 


been  inhabited  until  now.  The  pueblos  of  the  sedentary 
Indians  of  New  Mexico  are  grouped  as  follows:  I.,  be- 
tween the  frontier  of  vVrizona  and  the  Rio  Grande,  Zufti, 
Acoma,  and  Laguna;  II.,  on  the  banks  of  the  Rio  Grande 
Taos,  Picuries,  Teluia,  Queres,  Tiguas,  and  Piros;  III.,  to 
the  west  of  the  Rio  Grande,  Jcmcz ;  and  IV.,  to  the  east 
of  the  same  river,  Tanos  and  Pecos. 

Lieutenant  Wheeler,  who  visited  the  country  in  1858, 
speaks  of  having  seen  through  his  telescope  two  Mocjui  pueb- 
los, at  a  distance  of  eight  or  ten  miles,  perched  on  a  rock 
overlooking  the  whole  valle\-.  The  buildings  were  flush 
with  the  precipice,  and  from  the  Lieutenant's  point  of  view 
presented  the  appearance  of  a  town  with  walls  and  crenel- 
lated towers.  The  whole  was  singularly  picturescpie.  Each 
of  these  pueblos  is  built  round  a  rectangular  court,  enclos- 
ing the  spring  of  water  indispensable  to  the  population. 
The  walls,  which  are  of  stone,  have  no  opening  on  the  out- 
side. To  reach  the  insitle,  these  walls  would  have  to  be 
cither  removed  or  scaled.  The  different  stories  of  the 
houses  are  one  behind  the  other,  and  the  upper  ones  can 
only  be  reached  by  means  of  trap-doors  in  the  ceiling. 
Every  building  includes  three  stories,  and  has  no  oi)ening 
except  on  to  the  court.  The  whole  arrangement  is  such  as 
to  offer  resistance  in  case  of  attack.  As  the  court  and  the 
communications  are  common  to  all,  the  inhabitants  must 
have  led  a  communal  existence,  such  as  is  known  to  be  char- 
acteristic of  all  American  tribes. 

We  might  well  take  this  account  as  a  description  of  an 
ancient  pueblo,  and  it  will  help  us  to  a  second  conclusion, 
which  follows  as  a  matter  of  couise.  New  Mexico,  Arizona, 
Utah,  Colorado,  and  the  northern  part  of  Chihuahua,  were 
formerly  inhabited  by  a  sedentary  agricultural  and  compara- 
tively cultured  race,  who  differed  no  more  from  each  other 
than  do  the  present  inhabitants  of  the  pueblos.  The  de- 
cline of  these  people  probably  began  some  time  before  the 
arrival  of  the  Spaniards,  and  this  decadence  has  gone  on  until 
the  present  day,  when  a  few  scattered  settlements  are  the 


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258 


PKE-HISrORIC  AMERICA. 


sole  representativ'c.s  of  u  once  numerous  and  powerful  popu- 
lation. 

The  causes  of  this  decadence  are  many.  Amoncf  the 
most  important  we  must  certainly  include,  the  pcrpetuaUy 
recurrent  invasions  of  the  Apaches,  wild  and  dangerous  ene- 
mies whom  the  Cliff  Dwellers  long  and  energetically  resisted. 
Ac  last,  however,  this  resistance  became  powerless  to  stem 
the  torrjnt,  the  people  had  to  leave  the  homes  they  had 
built,  the  hearths  often  watered  with  their  blood,  perhaps  to 
join  themselves  to  other  tribes  at  a  distance,'  who  in  their 
turn  had  to  defend  themselves,  probably  with  no  better  suc- 
cess, against  the  attacks  of  the  same  enemies. 

The  enemies  gained  ground  daily,  and  daily  the  Cliff 
Dwellers  receded  before  them.  The  end  was  i-  ^^vitable.  The 
vanquished  race  was  rapidly  reduced  in  power  and  number, 
and  unfortunately  the  Spanish  conquest  could  not  restore  it. 
It  is  probable,  however,  that  the  inroads  of  the  nomad  tribes, 
however  formidable  they  may  have  been,  would  not  have 
been  enough  to  depr  pulate  the  country.  Tiie  aerial  dwell- 
ings, so  difficult  of  access,  the  towers  defending  the  en- 
trances to  the  valleys,  the  arrangement  of  ^\\<:  j)uebloj,  form- 
ing as  they  did  regular  fortresses,  would  have  secureu  the 
victory  to  their  inhabitants,  had  not  another  cause,  already 
referred  to,  hastened  their  ruin.  The  destruction  of  the  for- 
csi.s,  prolonged  droughts,  and  the  disappearance  of  water- 
courses changed  lands  which  had  been  rendered  productive  by 
cultivation  into  arid  deserts  and  valleys  choked  with  sand, 
which  strike  the  traveller  of  to-day  as  so  melancholy.  Man 
fled  from  regions  where  further  struggle  with  an  ungrateful 
nature  had  become  impossible.  He  receded  before  an  enemy 
more  dangerous  than  the  nomads,  and  against  whom  resis- 
tance was  impossible. 

It  was  reserved  to  the   nineteenth   century  to   ascertain 

'  Examples  of  similar  union  of  tribes  are  not  rare  in  the  history  of  the  Indians. 
Since  the  discovery  of  America  the  vaneiuished  Tuscaroras  have  been  admitted 
into  the  confederation  of  the  Five  Nations  ;  the  Alabamr.s,  the  Uchees,  and 
Natchez  into  that  of  the  Creeks  ;  and  in  our  own  day  the  Pecos,  decimated  by 
sickness,  found  an  asylum  amongst  the  people  of  an  allied  tribe. 


w  ■ 


Vlt^,..^  ^ 


THE   CUFF  DWELLERS. 


259 


r"* 


these  facts,  totally  unknown  a  few  years  ago.  A  more  noble 
mission  is  reserved  to  those  who  are  to  come  after  us.  It  is 
for  science  to  reestablish  that  which  the  barbarism  of  man 
has  been  permitted  to  destroy,  and  by  the  resources  of  mod- 
ern science  to  make  the  desert  blossom  as  the  rose. 


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CHAPTER  VI. 

THE    I'KOin.K    OF    CKNTRAl,  AMKRICA. 

America  does  not  stint  her  surprises  for  tliose  who  study 
her  ancient  history.  We  have  spoken  of  the  mounds,  so 
.strange  ahke  in  form  ;'.nd  construction,  the  dwelHngs,  true 
eagle's  nests,  formed  amid  perpendicular  cliffs,  the  pueblos, 
where  a  considerable  population  lived  in  common.  We  shall 
now  con.sider  a  more  advanced  state  of  culture,  monuments 
in  ruins  at  the  time  of  the  Spanish  invasion,  temples,  palaces, 
monoliths,  .statues,  and  bas-reliefs  recalling  in  their  complexity 
those  of  Eg\'pt  o"  Assyria,  India  or  China.  These  monu- 
ments extend  over  entire  districts,  and  the  pioneers  who. cut 
their  wa\',  axe  in  hand,  through  the  all  but  impenetrable  for- 
ests, flattering  themselves  that  they  were  the  first  to  tread 
the  virgin  soil,  found  themselves  face  to  face  with  ruins  and 
sepulchres,  incontestable  proofs  of  the  former  presence  of 
generations  now  disappeared.  In  stating  these  facts  we  shall 
incidentally  confute  the  error  of  an  eminent  historian  who 
did  not  hesitate  to  a-  sert  that  there  were  not  throughout  the 
whole  of  America  any  traces  of  a  single  building  of  earlier 
date  than  the  fifteenth  century. 

The  difficulties  we  mee::  with  at  ever\-  turn  increase  as  our 
account  proceeds.  Here  too  we  are  in  the  presence  of  name- 
less people,  of  races  without  a  written  history  ;  and  to  add 
to  our  difficulties  new  discoveries  are  daily  made,  upsetting 
preconceived  hypotheses,  breaking  down  earlier  theories,  and 
completely  destroying  what  had  appeared  to  be  the  best 
founded  conclusions. 

The  myths  and  traditions  that  havv.  been  collected  may 
date  back  to  a  time  before  the  Christian  era,  but  the  hiero- 

260 


%i.. 


^%' 


THE   PEOPLE  OF  CENT'-AI.    AMERICA. 


261 


glyphics  (fig.  113)  are  certainly  not  so  old.  It  is  difficult  on 
such  slight  data  to  reconstruct  a  past  culture,  the  very  ex- 
istence of  which  was  unknown  a  few  years  ago ;  and  thus 
far  no  Champollion  has  arisen  to  solve  the  enigmas  which 
have  been  preserved  in  stone.'  Before  examining  the  monu- 
ments themselves  we  must  sum  up  the  opinions  of  modern 
historians,  who  have  thrown  a  little  light  where,  before  their 
researches,  nothing  but  obscurity  and  chaos  existed. 

•'^ne  fact  appears  probable,  and  that  is  that  there  was  a 
tendency  of  population  extending  over  a  long  period  from 
the  nortli  toward  the  south,''  one  driving  another  before  it  as 
one  wave  of  the  sea  follows  that  in  advance  of  it.  We  can- 
not do  better  than  compare  these  successive  invasions,  with 
those  oi'  the  barbarous  races  that  c[uarrelled  over  the  parts 
of  the  dismembered  Roman  empire,  or  with  that  of  the 
Aryans,  who  from  the  farther  end  of  Asia  fell  in  hordes 
first  -..tp^n  India  and  Persia  and  then  upon  the  different  coun- 
tries of  Europe,  giving  to  the  vanquished  as  the  price  of 
their  defeat  a  culture  undoubtedly  superior  to  that  they  had 
formerly  possessed. 

The    people  who  successively  established   themselves  in 

'  The  twelfth  century  of  our  era  is  the  limit  of  our  very  incomplete  historical 
knowledge  of  America.  All  that  has  come  down  to  us  of  earlier  days  are  a 
few  ethnological  facts  and  legends  or  fables  usurping  the  place  of  truth.  With 
such  materials  hypothesis  has  run  wild.  The  Abbe  TJrasseur  de  liourbourg 
("  l'o|)ol-Vuh,"  Introd.)  says  that  in  955  B.C.  there  was  in  America  a  settled  gov- 
ernment. The  chronicle  of  Clavigero  ("  St.  del  Messico,"  book  II.  ch.  I.)  com- 
mences 596  years  before  our  era.  Veytia  ("  Hist.  Ant.  de  Mejico,"  t.  I.,  chap. 
II.)  dates  the  first  migiatious  of  the  Nahuas  from  the  year  2,237  a^fter  the  Crea- 
tion ;  while  Valentini  ("The  Katunes  of  Maya  History")  by  a  more  reason- 
able calculation  places  them  137  years  after  Christ.  Ixtlilxochitl  ("  Hist.  Chi- 
chimcca,"  Kinrsborough,  vol.  IX.)  in  his  turn  gives  the  year  503  A.I),  as  the 
date  of  the  foundation  of  Tezcuco.  All  these  dates,  however,  are,  we  repeat, 
merely  fanciful.  There  is  no  positive  evidence  either  to  confirm  or  to  disprove 
them. 

^  Bancroft's  opinion,  Iiowever,  is  that  "  while  the  positive  evidence  in  favor 
of  the  migration  from  the  south  is  very  meagre,  it  must  be  admitted  that  '.lie 
southern  origin  of  the  Nahua  culture  is  far  more  consistent  with  fact  and  tradi- 
tion than  was  the  noith-western  origin,  so  long  accepted."  "  Native  Races," 
vol.  II.,  p,  117. 


V 


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1  ..IM 


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iiii 


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262 


PRE.HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


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\      )M'A 


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Central  America  were  probably  of  Nahuatl  race.  The  vigo- 
rous researches  being  made  in  America  itself  tend  more  and 
more  to  connect  with  this  single  source  the  Olmecs,  Toltecs, 
Miztecs,  Zapotecs,  Chichimecs,  and  Aztecs,  and  it  is  to  vari- 
ous branches  of  this  conquering  race  that  we  owe  the  ruined 
monuments  still  scattered  over  Mexico,  Yucatan,  Honduras, 
Guatemala,  and  Nicaragua,  and  found  as  far  as  the  Isthmus 
of  Tehuantepec. 

The  earliest  were  the  Mayas,  who  are  also  supposed  to 
have  been  of  Nahuatl  origin,  though  we  are  unable  to  assert 
any  thing  positive  on  this  point,  as  the  traditions,  monu- 
ments and  hieroglyphics  which  can  with  certainty  be  attrib- 
uted to  them,  appears  to  differ  from  those  of  the  Nahuas, 
and  their  language  presents  striking  disparities.'  The  last 
fact  would  form  a  conclusive  argument  against  a  common 
origin,  did  we  not  know  with  what  rapidity  dialects  are 
transformed,  which  primitively  sprang  from  a  single  source,' 
and  if  side  by  side  with  these  differences  we  did  not  note  re- 
markable resemblances,  such  as  the  monosyllabic  v.  on.ls  and 
the  similarity  in  the  construction  of  phrases" ;  all  that  wc  can 
really  say  at  the  present  moment  is  that  if  the  Mayas  and 
the  various  branches  of  the  Nahuas  had  really  a  common 
origin,  their  separation  certainly  preceded  the  Spanish  inva- 
sion by  a  considerable  period. 

The  Mayas  are  supposed  to  have  dwelt  upon  the  shores  of 
the  Atlantic.  They  migrated  prob^ibly  after  defeat,  and  later 
established  themselves  in  Chiapas,  on  the  banks  of  the  Usu- 
macinta  River,  in  the  midst  of   a  rich  and  fertile  country.* 

'  Kingsborougli  :  "  Ant.  of  Mexico,"  vol.  III.;  Prcscott,  "Hist,  of  the 
Conquest  of  Mexico,"  vol.  I.,  p.  104;  li.incvoft,  "Native  Races,"  vol.  11., 
p.  772. 

'■'.Scnor  Orozco  y  IJ^ria  m.icle  out  fifteen  dialects  belonging  to  the  Maya. 
Among  these  we  may  mention  the  Quiche,  Tzendal,  and  Cakcliiquel.  Maya 
or  its  derivatives  was  spoken  in  Tabasco,  Chiapas,  Guatemala,  part  of  ,San  Sal- 
vador, Honduras,  and  Nicaragua.  Some  traces  of  it  are  perhaps  too  hastily 
supposed  to  have  been  recognized  in  Cuba,  Hayti,  and  various  of  the  West  In- 
dia islands  ("  Geog.  de  las  Linguas,"  p.  98,  Mexico,  1S641. 

'  I'ancroft,  "  Native  U.ices,"  vol.  III.,  ]i.  769. 

■*  Orozco  y  Berra,  /.  c,  p.  128. 


[IPH: 


xfc.- 


i   »; 
I 


THE   PEOPLE    OF  CENTRAL   AMERICA. 


263 


Their  empire  flourished  long,  the  rule  of  their  chiefs  or  of 
the  tribes  subject  to  them  '  extended  over  the  greater  part 


Fig.  113. — SpecimTi  of  hieroglyphics  found  in  Central    viucrua. 

of  Central  America."     Nachan  or  the  Town  of  Serpents,  of 

'  The  Mayas  had  as  many  as  three  districts  tributary  to  them,  the  Capitals  of 
wliich  were  :  Tula  or  Tulan,  generally  placed  two  leagues  from  Ococingo, 
Mayapan  in  Yucatan,  and  Copan. 

'^  Hrasseur  de  Bourliourg  :  "  Hist,  des  Nations  Civilisees  du  Mexique  et  de 
I'Amerique  Centrale "  ;  Bancroft,  vol.  II  ,  p.  523;  vol.  III.,  p.  460,  etc.; 
vol.  v.,  pp.  157  and  231. 


W- 


M: 


'I 


■.. 


y   * 


ii 


I  V 


i   I     ! 


264 


PRE.IirSTORIC  AMERICA. 


which  the  ruins  at  Palenque  exhibit  tiic  grandeur,  was  their 
capital,  while  Mayapan,  Tulan,  and  Copan,  were  the  chief 
towns  of  the  tributary  districts  forming  the  confederation  of 
Xibalba  or  of  the  Chanes  (Serpent). 

Such  are  the  only  at  all  trustworthy  data  that  we  possess. 
Legends  add  some  details  in  which  a  few  facts  are  mixed 
with  much  that  is  fabulous.  The  Maya  confederation,  it 
is  said,  was  founded  many  centuries  before  our  era,  by  a  mes- 
senger of  the  gods  named  Votan,  who  came,  according  to 
tradition,  from  the  other  side  of  the  Caribbean  Sea,  and  the 
time  of  his  arrival  is  placed  by  the  legend  ten  centuries 
before  the  Christian  era.  Perhaps  there  may  have  been 
several  Votans,  and  the  descendants  of  the  first  retained  his 
name  as  a  title  of  honor. 

The  most  ancient  traditions  made  him  come  from  a  land 
of  shadow,  be\'ond  the  seas  ;  on  his  arrival,  the  inhabitants  of 
the  vast  territories  stretching  between  the  isthmus  of  Panama 
and  California,  lived  in  a  state  whicli  may  be  compared  with 
that  of  the  people  of  the  stone  age  of  Europe.  A  few 
natural  caves,  huts  made  of  branches  of  trees,  served  them 
as  shelter ;  their  only  garments  were  skins  obtained  in  the 
chase;  they  lived  upon  wild  fruits,  roots  torn  out  of  the 
ground  and  raw  flesh  of  animals  which  the}'  devoured  while 
still  bloody.'  Legends  have  jircserved  to  our  day  the  name 
of  the  Quinames,  wild  and  barbarous  giants,  whose  memory 
filled  the  Indians  with  terror,  even  during  the  Spanish  domi- 
nation." Such  doubtless  were  the  men  who  struggled  with 
the  large  animals  which  so  long  roamed  as  undisputed  mon- 
archs  in  the  forests,  pampas,  a:.d  marshes  of  the  two  Ameri- 
cas. It  is  curious  that  nearly  every  American  tribe  has 
legends  of  barbarous    people    who    preceded    them   and  ta 

'  Torquemada  ;     "  Mon.  Indiann,"  vol,  I.,  clis.  i-;  and  20. 

'"Los  Quiiii-metin,  gigantesque  viviari  en  esta  rcnconada  que  se  dice  ahora 
Nueva  Espafia."  Ixtlilxochitl :  "  Relaciones"  ;  Kingsborough:  "Ant.  of  Mex- 
ico," vol.  IX.,  J).  322.  Traces  are  .ilso  supposed  to  have  been  met  with  of  a 
more  ancient  language  than  the  Maya,  Nahua,  or  their  derivanves.  See  Hum- 
boldt' "  Views  of  the  Cordilleras  "  (Mrs.  Williams'  translation,  2  vols,  octavo, 
18141  and  Bancroft,  vol.  III.,  p.  274. 


•MM'  .-. 


-=^^1 


%' 


THE  PEOPLE   OF  CENTRAL  AMERLCA. 


265 


whom  all  evil  attributes  are  attached  in  the  current  myths. 
Sometimes,  as  among  the  Eskimo,  Aleuts,  and  northern  Tin- 
neh,  these  mythical  nomads  are  believed  to  still  exist,  hidden 
in  the  recesses  of  the  mountains  or  the  forests. 

All  the  Central  American  tribes  do  not  seem  to  have  lived 
in  an  equally  degraded  condition  before  the  period  of  the 
Mayas.  Ruins  of  considerable  extent  are  met  with  in 
Guatemala.  These  consist  of  undressed  stones  similar  to 
those  used  in  the  cyclopean  buildings  of  Greece  or  Syria ; 
but  no  tradition  refers  to  their  origin.  They  are,  however, 
attributed  with  some  reason  to  a  race  driven  back  by  con- 
quest, and  superior  in  culture  to  the  people  overcome  by  the 
Maya  invasion  of  Central  America. 

It  was  by  war  that  Votan,  placed  after  his  death  among 
the  gods,  established  the  authorit}-  of  his  tribe,  and  it  was 
by  war  that  his  successors  maintained  its  supremacy.  Le- 
gends have  come  down  to  us  of  a  long  series  of  victories  and 
of  defeats,  of  internecine  struggles  and  foreign  wars,  alliances 
broken  off,  and  revolts  of  tributary  people.  A  manuscript 
translated  b\'  Don  J.  Perez,  called  "  Katunes  of  Maya  His- 
tory," gives  acconling  to  the  translator  the  history  of  the 
Mayas  from  144  to  1536  A.D.,  but  according  to  Professor 
Valentin!,  who  reckons  the  Ahau  or  cycle  differently,  from 
142  to  1544.  The  Katunes  give  only  incidents  of  war,  as  if 
times  of  peace  were  unworthy  of  attention.  This  manu- 
script escaped  the  general  auto  da  fc  ox<\cxci\  by  the  Spanish 
priests  in  i  569.  The  name  of  Katunes  (from  Kat,  stone  and 
tun,  to  interrogate)  was  given  in  Yucatan  to  engraved  stones 
bearing  dates  or  inscriptions  relating  to  historical  events. 
These  stones  were  imbedded  in  the  walls  of  public  buildings. 
Every  thing  points  to  the  conclusion  that  the  inscriptions 
were  not  very  ancient.' 

In  accortlancc  with  the  general  law  of  human  affairs  the 
confederation  declined,  one  invasion  succeeded  another,  and 
the  opposition  of  the  Mayas  to  their  invaders  was  that  of  a 

'Salisbury:  "  I'mc.  Am.  Antiq.  Soc,"  October2i,  1879.  Stephens:  "  Yu- 
catan," App.,  vols.  1.  and  II. 


-1  ii^ 


i 


II 


\  mm 


I 


266 


PRE-IIISTOKIC  AMERICA. 


worn-out  people,  no  longer  able  to  defend  itself  against 
younger  and  more  vigorous  races.  The  result  could  not  be 
doubtful.  Amongst  the  conquered  tribes,  some  accepted  a 
new  usurpation,  others  retired  to  Yucatan  and  Guatemala, 
where  their  descendants  offered  an  heroic  resistance  to  the 
Spanish  conquerers.' 

We  know  very  little  about  the  religion,  the  manners  or 
the  customs  of  the  Mayas.  Three  Maya  manuscripts  are 
known  :  the  Codex  Perezianus,  preserved  in  the  Bibliotheque 
Nationale  at  Paris;  the  Dresden  codex,  known  since  the 
eighteenth  century,  and  long  described  as  an  Aztec  manu- 
script ;  it  is  published  in  the  large  work  by  Lord  Kings- 
borough  ;  and  lastly,  the  Troano  manuscript  (named  after 
Sefior  Tro  y  Ortolano,  one  of  its  owners),  found  at  Madrid 
in  1865.  Some  doubts  have  been  expressed  with  regard  to 
this,  and  also  to  a  manuscript  which  figured  in  1881  at  the 
American  Exhibition  at  Madrid,  and  which  is  looked  upon 
as  a  continuation  of  tlic  Troano  manuscript." 

The  gods  of  the  Mayas  appear  to  have  been  less  sangui- 
nary than  those  of  the  Nahuas.  The  immolation  of  a  dog 
was  with  them  enough  for  an  occasion  that  would  have  been 
celebrated  by  the  Nahuas  by  hecatombs  of  victims.  Human 
sacrifices  did  however  take  place,  and  prisoners  of  war  were 
chosen  in  preference;  failing  them,  parents  offered  up  their 
children  as  the  sacrifice  most  pleasing  to  the  gods." 

One  remarkable  distinction  is  noticed  :  the  ofifice  of  sacri- 
ficer  was  considered  the  greatest  dignity  to  which  a  Mexican 
could  aspire  ;  among  the  Mayas,  on  the  contrary,  it  was 
looked  upon  as  impure  and  degrading.' 

At  ChichenTtza,  capital  of  the   Itzas,    one   of  the  Maya 

'A.  de  Remsal :  "Hist,  de  la  Piov.  de  S.  Vincente  de  Cliyapa,"  Madrid, 
i6ig,  p.  264.  Juarros:  "  Hist,  of  tiii;  Kingdom  of  Guatemala,"  London, 
1824,  p.  14.     Bancroft  /.  c,  vol.  I.,  p.  647  ct  scij.  ;  vol.  V.,  p.  616, 

''An  investigation  by  Prof.  Cyrus  Thomas  of  the  Manuscript  Troano,  throw- 
ing much  new  light  upon  the  subject,  is  on  the  point  of  publication  by  the 
I'lhnological  Bureau  of  the  United  States. 

^  Diego  de  Landa,  "  Relacion  de  las  cosas  de  Yucatan,"  p.  166  ;  Paris,  1864. 

* "  El  oficio  de  abrir  el  pecho  a  los  sacrilicados  que  en  Mexico  era  estimado, 
aqui  era  poco  honornso  "     IlerriMn,  "  Hist.  Clen.,"  dec.  IV.,  book  X.,  ch.  IV. 


V '!  i 


r//£:   PEOPLE    OE  CENTRAL   AMEKLCA. 


267 


If 


tribes  of  Yucatan,  these  sacrifices  were  more  numerous.  A 
deep  excavation  was  dug  in  the  centre  of  the  town  and  filled 
with  water.  An  altar,  reached  by  a  flight  of  steps  cut  in 
the  rock,  rose  at  the  very  edge  of  the  precipice.  Trees  and 
shrubs  surrounded  it  on  every  side,  and  to  add  to  the  awe 
which  the  spot  naturally  inspired,  a  perpetual  silence  reigned 
there.  In  the  days  of  Votan's  first  successors,  in  accordance 
with  the  instructions  of  the  messenger  of  the  gods,  nothing 
was  offered  up  but  animals,  flowers,  or  incense  ;  but  by  de- 
grees the  people  went  back  to  the  most  revolting  sacrifices, 
and  in  the  years  preceding  the  fall  of  the  confederation,  if 
they  were  threatened  with  any  calamity,  such  as  the  failure 
of  the  harvest  or  the  cessation  of  rain,  so  indispensable  in 
the  ticrra  caliciiic,  the  populace  hastened  to  gather  round 
the  altar,  and  to  appease  the  ang^  r  of  the  gods  with  human 
victims.  These  victims  were  generally  young  virgins;  they 
marched  triumphantly  to  their  fate,  arrayed  in  rich  apparel 
and  surrounded  by  an  imposing  escort  of  priests  and 
priestesses.  Whilst  the  fumes  of  the  incense  rose  to- 
^\ard  heaven,  the  priests  explained  to  the  virgins  what  they 
were  to  ask  of  the  gods,  before  whom  they  were  to  ap- 
pear. Then,  when  the  incense  was  dying  out  upon  the  altar, 
they  were  flung  down  into  the  abyss,  whilst  the  prostrate 
crowd  went  on  offering  up  their  ardent  petitions.  In  Nica- 
ragua, every  one  of  the  eighteen  months  into  which  the 
year  was  divided  opened  with  a  holiday.  The  high-priest 
announced  tlie  number  of  victims  to  be  offered  up  and  the 
names  of  those  he  had  chosen,  either  among  the  prisoners 
or  among  the  inhabitants  themselves.'  The  unhapi^y  wretch 
thus  pointed  out  was.  pitilessly  seized  VA-.d  stretched  upon 
the  altar;  the  sacrificer  walked  slowly  rou!'.d  him  three  times, 
chanting  funeral  hymns;  then  he  approached,  quickly 
opened  the  breast,  tore  out  the  heart,  and  bathed  his  face  in 
the  still  smoking  blood.  When  the  victim  was  a  j^risoner 
the  body  was  at  once  cut  up ;  the  heart  belonging  to  the 
high-priest,  the  feet  and  hemds  to  the  chiefs,  the  thighs  to  the 

'  Peter  Martyr  d'Anghiera,  "  De  Orbe  Novo."  dec.  VI.,  book  VI. 


■I   I   K 


r  -i 


268 


I'KE-IIISTOKIC  AMERICA. 


;>  ,11 


It      i 


warrior  who  had  had  the  honor  of  his  capture,  the  entrails 
to  tile  trumpeters,  tlie  rest  distributed  amoni;  the  people, 
and  lastl)',  the  head  was  \\\.\\v^  upon  the  branch  of  a  tree  as  a 
religious  troph)'.  if  the  victim  was  a  child  offered  or  sold  by 
its  parents,  the  body  was  buried,  custom  not  permitting 
the  assistants  to  eat  the  flesh  of  one  of  their  own  people. 
These  sacrifices,  which  dated  from  a  very  remote  anticjuity, 
lasted  until  the  Spanish  conquest.  Herrera'  relates  that  sev- 
eral Si)anish  prisoners  were  thus  devoured,  and  Albornoz 
adds  that  in  Honduras  the  Indians  gave  up  eating  the  flesh 
of  the  white  victims  because  it  was  too  tough  and  stringy. 

Sacrifices  were  always  succeeded  by  several  holidays,  dan- 
cing, banquets,  and  brutal  drunkenness.'^  Husbands  had 
to  refrain  from  all  intercourse  with  their  wives,  and  the  de- 
vout pierced  the  tongue,  ears,  and  other  parts  of  their  bodies, 
and  smeared  the  lips  and  beard  of  the  idols  with  the  blood 
from  tlu'ir  wounds."  At  other  times  blood  was  drawn  from 
the  male  organ,  and  some  grains  of  maize  were  sprinkled 
with  it,  for  the  possession  of  which  the  assistants  disputed 
eagerly,  believing  it  to  be  an  aphrodisiac.''  In  Guatemala  a 
woman  and  a  female  dog  were  sacrificed  before  every  battle. 
The  horror  these  details  inspire  is  our  excuse  for  cutting  short 
the  enumeration.  Nowhere  was  human  barbarity  greater 
than  amongst  the  early  Americans,  and  the  cruelt}^  of  the 
executioners  was  only  equalled  by  the  stoicism  of  their 
victims. 

\\'e  do  not  know  who  the  gods  were  who  were  supposed  to 
be  honored  by  these  revolting  sacrifices,  and  very  little  has. 
been  learned  yet  about  the  mythology  of  the  Mayas.  Some 
of  their  idols  represent  men,  others  animals.     Peter  Martyr 

'  "  Ilist.  Gen.  de  los  Ilechos  <le  los  Castillanos  en  las  Islas  e  Ticrra  Firme 
del  Mar  Occano,"  dec.  I,  book  V.,  chap.  V.;  dec.  III.,  book  IV.,  chap.  VII.  ; 
dec.  IV.,  book  VIII.,  chap.  IX.;  book  XCIV. 

"The  Mayas  were  acquainted  with  scs-eral  fermented  drinks.  The  Itzas  pre- 
pared one  of  a  mixture  of  cacao  and  niai/.c.  In  other  parts  honey  and  the  juices 
of  the  banana,  figs,  and  other  fruits,  were  fermented. 

"Oviedo  y  Valdes  :  "  Hist.  Gen.  y  Natural  de  las  Indias,"  Madrid,  1851-54,. 
vol.  IV.,  p.  52. 

*  Herrera,  /.  c.j  Peter  Martyr,  /.  c. 


r  •■  ■ 


i 


THE  PEOPLE   OF  CENTRAL   AMERICA. 


269 


speaks  of  one  huge  serpent  made  of  stone  and  asphaltum 
sei  up  in  Yucatan,  and  we  know  that  the  Itzas,  tjreatly  struck 
with  the  appearance  of  Cortes'  horse,  hastened  to  copy  it  in 
stone  and  place  it  amongst  their  idols. 

The  Mayas  knew  nothing  of  iron  ;  copper  and  gold  were 
the  only  metals  they  used,  and  it  is  doubtful  whether  they 
understood  smelting  metals.  Christopher  Columbus  is  said, 
however,  to  have  seen,  off  the  coast  of  Honduras,  a  boat 
laden  with  crucibles,  filled  with  ingots  of  metal  and  hatchets 
made  of  copper  which  had  been  fetched  from  a  distance. 
Gold  was  very  plentiful  at  the  time  of  the  Spanish  conquest, 
and  it  was  used  for  making  ornaments  of  all  kinds.'  The 
weapons  in  use  were  slings,  spears,  arrows,  and  darts  pointed 
with  silex,  obsidian.  j)orphyry,  copper,  or  bone.  The  war- 
riors wore  well-padded  cotton  armor,  often  so  heavy  that  a 
soldier  once  prostrated  could  not  always  get  up  again  ;  tlieir 
round  shields  were  decorated  with  feathers  and  covered  with 
cotton  cloth  or  with  the  skins  of  animals  which  they  had 
killed  in  the  chase.  The  Mayas  were  acquainted  with  navi- 
gation. Oviedo  relates  that  the  inhabitants  of  Nicaragua 
used  balsas  for  crossing  the  rivers  ;  these  balsas  were  reg- 
ular rafts  of  five  or  six  logs,  bound  together  with  creepers 
and  supporting  a  deck  of  interlaced  branches.'  The  Chia- 
panecs  used  calabashes  for  floats.  In  other  localities  naviga- 
tion was  more  advanced  ;  the  Guatemalians  hewed  out  the 
trunks  of  the  cedar  and  the  mahogany  tree,  and  their  canoes 
might  be  counted  by  thousands  on  their  lakes  and  rivers. 
The  people  of  Yucatan  used  trunks  of  trees  in  the  same  way, 
and  their  boats,  which  they  guided  with  great  skill  with  the 
help  of  a  steering  oar,  were  capable  of  holding  as  many  as 
fifty  people.     Some  say  that  sailing  vessels  were  also  used. 

'Cortes  :  "  Cartas  y  Rclacionesal  Emperador  Carlos  V.,"  Paris,  1866.  Her- 
rera  ("  Hist.  Gen.,"  decade  III.,  book  IV.,  chs.  V.  and  VI.)  speaks  of 
golden  idols  and  Jiatchets.  Cogolludo  ("  Hist,  de  Yucatan,"  Madrid,  1688.) 
in  his  turn  speaks  of  little  figures  representing  fish  and  geese  ;  and  Brasseur  de 
Bourbourg  ("  Hist,  des  Nat.  Civ,,"  vol.  II.,  p.  6g),  of  finely  chased  vases,  all  of 
gold. 

'"Ilist.  Gen.,"  vol.  III.,  p.  100. 


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270 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


A  balsa  met  with  by  Pizarro,  near  the  second  degree  of  north 
latitude,  and  the  boat  seen  by  Christopher  Columbus,  were 
reported  to  have  been  thus  rigged  ' ;  but  these  facts  are  very 
much  disputed,  and  we  only  know  that  the  last-named  vessel 
was  of  the  same  length  as  the  Spanish  galleys  of  eight  feci 
beam,  that  it  was  manned  by  twenty-five  men,  and  that  in 
the  middle  was  a  canopy  of  matting  to  protect  the  women 
and  children  from  the  heat  of  the  sun. 

The  houses  inhabited  by  these  people  were  of  a  very  great 
variety,  but  this  need  not  surprise  us  when  we  remember 
the  great  extent  of  the  confederation  of  Xibalba,  and  the 
very  different  tribes  oompoiUng  it.  The  Quiches  and  the 
Cakchiqucls  inhabiting  the  highlands  of  Guatemala  built 
their  towns,  as  did  the  Cliff  Dwellers,  on  points  difficult  of 
access,  and  surrounded  (hem  with  lofty  walls  and  deep 
trenches.  Grijalva  and  Cordova,  the  first  Spaniards  to  visit 
the  coast  of  Yucatan,  speak  of  houses  built  of  stone 
cemented  with  a  mortar  made  of  lime,  and  covered  in  with 
roofs  of  reeds  or  palm-leaves,  sometimes  even  with  slabs  of 
stone."  These  houses  had  door-ways,  but  no  doors,  and 
every  one  was  free  to  go  in  and  out. 

In  Nicaragua,  the  walls,  like  those  of  \\vc  jacals  of  the 
Indians,  were  of  cane.  The  houses  of  the  chiefs  were 
erected  on  artificial  platforms,  often  several  feet  high. 
Cortez  tells  us  *  that  the  one  he  lived  in,  near  the  Gulf  of 
Dulce,  consisted  merely  of  a  roof  supported  on  posts.  The 
temples,  with  one  notable  exception,  were  not  more  impos- 

'  llerrera  :  "  Hist.  Gen.,"  dec,  I.,  book  V.,  ch.  V.;  Cogoiludo  :  "  Hist, 
de  Yucatan,"  p.  4.  At  the  present  day  the  Ilaidas,  living  on  the  Queen  Char- 
lotte  Islands,  build  similar  boats  capable  of  holding  one  hundred  people,  and 
are  not  afraid  to  undertake  long  voyages  in  them. 

*  Juan  de  Grijalva  :  "  Cronica  de  laOrdende  N.  P.  S.  Augustin,"  Mexico, 
1624.  "  Las  casas  son  de  piedro  y  ladrillo,  con  la  cubierta  de  paja  o  rama,  y 
dun  alguna  de  lanchas  de  piedra."  Gomara  :  "  Hist,  de  Mexico,"  Antwerp, 
1554,  folio  23.  "  The  houses  were  of  stone  or  brick  and  lyme,  very  artificiallv 
composed.  To  the  square  courts  or  first  habitations  of  their  houses  they  ns- 
cended  by  ten  or  twelve  steps.  The  roof  was  of  reeds  or  stalks  or  herbsi.'' 
"  Purchas  His  Pilgrimes,"  London,  1625-6 

•  "  Cartas,"  pp.  268,  426,  447. 


THE  PEOPLE  OF  CENTRAL   AMERICA. 


271 


ing  than  the  houses  of  the  people.  The  images  of  the  gods 
were  kept  in  very  dark  subterranean  rooms.  Before  each 
temple  rose  a  truncated  pyramid,  resembling  those  of 
Florida  or  Mississippi.  It  was  there  that  the  sacrifices  were 
offered  up  in  the  sight  of  all  the  people.' 

We  have  now  summed  up  all  that  is  really  known  of  the 
Mayas.  The  temples  and  palaces  of  which  the  ruins  are 
still  standing  give  a  better  idea  of  their  artistic  taste  and 
social  organization ;  but  before  commencing  their  study  we 
must  speak  of  the  Nahuas,  who  overran  in  their  turn  these 
countries  whose  resources  had  become  celebrated. 

As  already  stated,  we  must  include  under  the  title  of 
Nahuas  the  tribes,  evidently  of  the  same  origin,  who  suc- 
cessively dominated  Anahuac.' 

The  Toltecs'  were  the  first  to  establish  a  regular  govern- 
ment, and  this  government  gradually  spread  to  the  neigh- 
boring countries.  These  Toltecs  arrived  about  the  sixth 
century  of  our  era ;  later  they  were  replaced  by  the 
Chichimecs,  who  in  their  turn  were  to  be  vanquished  by  the 
combined  forces  of  the  Aztecs,  Acolhuas,  and  Tepanecs. 
Finally  the  Aztecs,  as  conquerors  of  their  former  allies,  re- 
mained sole  masters  of  Mexico  until  the  Spanish  conquest. 
Between  the  sixth  and  sixteenth  centuries  then  there  were 
three  distinct  periods  in  the  Nahuatl  rule :  that  of  the 
Toltecs,  that  of  the  Chichimecs,  and  that  of  the  Aztecs. 
Between  these  two  limits  we  must  place  the  numerous  in- 
vasions of  the  various  people  who,  driven  on  as  by  an.  irre- 

'  Oviedo  :  "  Hist.  Gen.," vol.  IV.,  p.  27.     Peter  Martyr:  dec,  VI.,  book  V. 

*  The  prefix  A  in  Anahuac  appears  to  be  an  abbreviation  of  All,  water. 
Anahuac  may  therefore  be  translated  as  the  country  of  the  Nahuas  by  the 
water.  It  is  difficult  to  fix  the  extent  of  this  country.  It  varied  greaily  at  dif- 
ferent periods.  We  think,  however,  that  it  was  limited  on  the  Atlantic  by  ihc 
18th  and  3ist  degrees  of  N.  lat.,  and  on  the  Pacific  by  the  14th  and  iqth. 
Becker  :  "  On  the  Migrations  of  the  Nahuas  "  ;  Cong,  des  Americanistes,  Lux- 
embourg, 1877. 

'  The  name  of  Toltecs,  which  we  take  for  want  of  a  better,  is  founded  on  very 
insufficient  data.  Sahagun,  one  of  the  most  ancient  Spanish  historians,  was, 
we  think,  the  first  to  use  it,  in  his  "  Hist.  Gen.  de  las  Cosas  de  Niieva 
Espafia." 


27: 


PKE.mSTOh'JC  AMERICA. 


sistible  force,  precipitated  themselves  toward  this  common 
•centre.' 

All  these  people  belonged  to  one  race,  all  spoke  dialects 
apparently  springing  from  the  same  source.  This  point  has 
been  hotly  disputed.  "  From  a  careful  examination  of  the 
early  authorities,  I  can  but  entertain  the  opinion  that  the 
Toltec,  Chichimcc,  and  Aztec  languages  are  one."  These 
conclusions  of  Bancroft's  (vol.  III.,  p.  724)  arc  also  mine. 

This  is  an  important  point ;  the  identity  or  the  relation- 
ship of  languages  is  incontestably  an  ethnological  fact,  which 
establishes  the  relationship  of  nations." 

Very  little  is  known  of  this  past ;  from  the  time  of  the  de- 
struction of  the  Xibalba  confederation  chronological  data 
are  most  confused,  and  the  history  of  Central  America  is 
shrouded  in  mystery  which  can  be  only  very  imperfectly 
penetrated. 

The  ancient  American  races  preserved  the  tradition  of  dis- 
tinct migrations,  in  their  hieroglyphics  and  pictographs.  Ac- 
cording to  these  traditions  it  was  from  a  country  situated  on 
the  north  or  the  northwest  that  the  Nahuas  came.  This  is 
the  version  of  all  .Spanish  historians,  and  we  may  mention 
amongst  them  Duran,  Veytia,  Torqucmada,  Vetancurt,  and 
Clavigcro.  Bancroft,  however,  (vol.  V.,  pp.  219,  616,  it.  scq.) 
think-i  these  t)eople  came  from  the  south.  We  are  obliged 
to  add  that  his  reasons  for  this  opinion  do  not  appear  to  us 
conclusive. 

This  country  called  Htichne-Tlapallan  in  the  Popol-Vuh ; 
Tulaii-Zuiwa  by  other  historians,'  must  be  the  same  as  the 
country  of  Aiiiaqitcmccnii,  the  birthplace  of  the  Chichimecs. 

Ferdinand  Alva  de  I.xtlilxochitl,  a  Christian  descendant 
of  the  rulers  of  the  country,  has  endeavored  to  trace  the 
ancient  history  of  his  race.*     It  is  too  easy  to  recognize  in 

'  li.incroft  with  his  usual  accuracy  enumerates  these  people.  We  can  but 
refer  the  reader  to  him.      "  Native  Races,"  vol.  II.,  pp.  103,  et  seq. 

*  F,  von  Ilellwakl  :   "  The  American  Migrations,"  "  Smith.  Cont.,"  1866. 
'An  attempt  has  been  made  to  identify  Tulan-Zuiwa  with  the  seven  caves 

that  play  such  an  important  part  in  Aztec  traditions. 

*  "  Relaciones  "  and  "  Hist.  Chichimeca."  Kingsborough  :  "  Ant.  of  Mex," 
vol.  IX. 


m 


' 


THE   PEOPLE   OF  CENTRAL  AMERICA, 


73 


his  narrative  tlic  religious  influence  of  the  Spanish  mission- 
aries to  accord  it  any  great  confidence.  According  to  him 
seven  families  were  saved  from  the  deluge.  After  long  and 
arduous  journeys  their  descendants  settled  in  Huehuc- 
Tlapallan,  a  fertile  country  and  pleasant  to  live  in,  adds  the 
historian.' 


Fig.  114. — Qiietracoail  (Ethnographical  Department  of  the  Trocadero 

Museum,  Paris). 

Their  sojourn  was  long  and  their  fortunes  were  various ; 
they  were  at  last  compelled  to  leave  their  adopted  country 
after  numerous  defeats,  and  it  was   then   that  they  went 

'  Bancroft  (vol.  V.,  pp.  208-218)  gives  a  summary  of  the  whole  of  this  his- 
tory, which  is  legendary  rather  than  serious. 


I 


I 


PRE-i/ISTORIC  AaMERICA. 


southward  to  found  a  new  country.  A  singular  fact  in  all  the 
legends  collected  is  the  reported  arrival  of  white  and  bearded 
strangers  wearing  black  clothes,  who  have  been  absurdly 
identified  as  Buddhist  missionaries,  who  came  to  preach  new 
doctrines  to  the  Nahuas.  Of  these  strangers  there  is  no  cer- 
tain information,  all  that  is  definitely  alleged  being  that  the 
chief  was  called  Quetzacoatl,  or  "  the  serpent  covered  with 
feathers"  (fig.  114).  The  first  Spanish  writers  choose  to 
see  in  Quetzacoatl  St.  Thomas,  who  passed  from  India  to 
America.  Legends  about  him  are  numerous,  and  their 
variety  justifies  us  in  supposing  that  imaginary  or  real 
actions  of  several  Maya  and  Nahua  god*  were  attributed  to 
him.  All  is  confusion  on  this  point.'  He  was  worshipped 
by  the  people  as  the  incarnation  of  Tonacatcatl,  the  serpent 
sun,  the  creator  of  ail  things,  the  supreme  god  of  the 
Nahuat!  mythology.  It  is  to  Quetzacoatl  that  the  myths 
and  traditions  of  the  Nahuas  chiefly  refer  ;  numerous  temples 
were  dedicated  to  him,  his  attributes  were  represented  in 
bas-reliefs,  and  his  image  (fig.  1 1 5)  is  met  with  under  the 
most  different  aspects,  in  terra-cotta  and  in  stone,  wherever 
excavations  have  been  attempted.  All  the  museums  of 
Europe  and  America  are  well  stocked  with  representations 
of  Quetzacoatl  ;  those  in  the  Louvre  have  been  described  by 
M.  de  Longperier  ("  Notice  sur  les  monuments  exposes  dans 
la  Salle  des  Ant.  Amdricaines ").  The  new  ethnological 
museum  of  the  Trocadero  is  not  less  rich.  Thanks  to  the 
courtesy  of  its  learned  director  Dr.  Hamy  we  are  able  to 
give  from  it  a  curious  figure  of  the  god  in  question,  (fig.  114) 
represented  seated  with  crossed  legs  as  is  Buddha  in  his 
images. 

There  appear  to  have  been  very  hotly  contested  religious 
disputes ;  constant  wars  broke  out  between  the  sectarians 
following  the  god  Votan  and  those  who  worshipped  Quetza- 
coatl, and  the  vanquished  on  either  side  perished  under  hor- 
rible tortures,  or  were  compelled  to  fly  their  country. 


'Bancroft,   vol.    III.,    ijp.    450,451,    et  seq. 
Urreligionen."    Basel,  1869,  p.  486,  etc. 


MuUer  :     "  Americanischea 


THE  PEOPLE  OF  CENTRAL  AMERICA. 


275 


In  spite  of  wars  and  discord  the  time  of  the  Toltec  domi- 
nation is  enshrined  in  the  memory  of  the  Nahuas  as  their 
golden  age.  The  Toltecs,  they  tell  us  were  tall,  well- 
proportioned,  with   clear  yellow   complexions;  their  eyes 


5     ; 


Fig.    115. — Quetzacoatl. 

were  black,  their  teeth  very  white  ;  their  hair  was  black  and 
glossy;  their  lips  were  thick  ;  their  noses  were  aquiline,  and 
their  foreheads  were  receding.  Their  beards  were  thin,  and 
they  had  very  little  hair  on  their  bodies  ;  the  expression  of 


i 


...*»<**^ 


27^) 


PRE.IFlSTOHrC  AM E  NIC  A. 


■ 


their  mouths  was  sweet,  but  that  of  the  upper  part  of  their 
face  severe.  They  were  brave,  but  cruel,  eajjer  for  revenge, 
and  the  reUgious  ri{^hts  practised  by  them  were  s.inguinar)-. 
Tiitelliyent  and  ready  to  learn,  they  were  the  first  to  make 
roads  and  aqueducts ;  they  knew  how  to  utilize  certain  metals ; 
they  could  spin,  weave  and  dye  cloth,  cut  jjrecious  stones, 
build  solid  houses  of  stone  cemented  with  lime  mortar, 
found  regular  towns,  and  lastly  build  mounds  wiiich  may 
justly  be  compared  with  those  of  the  Mississippi  valley.' 
To  them  popular  gratitude  attributes  the  invention  of  medi- 
cine, and  the  vapor  bath  {tcviaccalli).  Certain  plants"  to 
which  curative  properties  were  attributed  were  the  remedies 
mostly  used.  In  the  towns,  we  are  told,  were  hospitals 
where  the  poor  were  received  and  cared  for  gratuitously.' 

Our  information  respecting  the  commerce  of  the  Toltecs 
is  very  vague.  We  know,  however,  that  it  was  important. 
At  certain  periods  of  the  year  regular  fairs  were  Jield  at 
Toltan  and  Cholula  ;  the  products  t)f  tin:  regions  washed  b\- 
both  oceans  were  seen  side  by  side  with  numerous  objects 
made  by  the  Toltecs  themselves.  These  objects  were  of 
great  variety,  for  though  iron  was  unknown  to  them  the 
Toltecs  worked  in  gold,  silver,  copper,  tin.  and  lead.*  Their 
jewelry  is  celebrated,  and  the  few  valuable  onianunts  which 
escaped  the  rapacity  of  the  Conquistadores  are  still  justl}' 
admiretl.  The  Toltecs  cut  down  trees  with  C()p|)er  hatchets, 
and  sculi)tured  bas-reliefs  and  hieroglyphics  with  stone  im- 
plements. For  this  purpose  flint,  por[ihyr)',  basalt,  and 
above  all,  obsidian,  the  istli  of  tlie  Me.xicans,  were  used. 
Emeralds,  ''  turquoises,  amethy.sts  of  which  large  deposits 
were  found  in  various  places,  were  sought  after  for  making 

'  Hancroft,  vol.  I.,  p.  24. 

'  "  C.isi  todos  sus  males  curan  con  ycrbas."  (loniarn  :  "  Hist,  de  Mfxico," 
Antwerp,  1554,  fol.  117. 

'  "  Kn  las  cuidadcs  principales  ♦  ♦  *  habea  hospitalcs  dotadas  de  rentas 
y  vasallos,  donde  sc  resabian  y  cur.iban  los  enfcrmos  pobres. '*  Las  Casas  : 
"  Hist.  Apol."  MS.  quoted  by  Hancroft,  vol.  II.,  p.  597. 

*  Ixtlilxochitl :     "  Relaciones."     Kingsborough,  vol.  IX.,  p.  332. 

'"G'i  smeraldi  erano  tanto  comuni,  die  non  v'  era  signora  che  non  ne 
avesse."     Clavigero:     "St.  Ant.  del  Messico,"  vol.  II.,  pp.  206-7. 


!l 


THE   PEOPLE   OF  CENTRAL  AMERICA. 


77 


jewelry  for  both  men  and  women.  At  Cholula  a  famous 
kind  of  pottery  was  made,  including;  vases  and  the  utensils 
in  daily  use,  censers,  and  idols  for  the  temples  of  the  gods 
and  common  ornaments  for  the  people. 

The  weapons  of  the  Toltecs  resembled  those  of  the 
Mayas.  Like  them,  too,  they  wore  jfarments  padded  with 
cotton,  forming;  regular  armor  impenetrable  to  arrows 
and  javelins.  Their  round  shields  called  chiinallis  were 
made  of  h.^ht  and  fle.xible  bamboos,  and  those  of  their 
chiefs  were  ornamented  with  plaques  of  gold,  insignia  of  the 
rank  of  their  owners. 

Cremation  appears  to  have  been  practised  very  early.  It 
is  said  that  the  Nahuas  burned  the  bodies  of  their  chiefs,  .so 
as  to  be  able  to  carry  their  ashes  about  with  them  in  their 
migrations;  Ixtlilxochitl  speaks  of  a  Chichimec  chief  being 
killed  in  war,  whose  body  was  burned  on  the  field  of  battle.' 
The  body  of  Topiltzin,  the  last  ruler  of  the  Toltec  race, 
was  also  burned.  With  the  common  people,  however, 
burial  was  the  usual  mode  of  disposing  of  the  dead";  such 
was  the  purpose  of  the  hundreds  of  tumuli  still  in  e.xistence 
near  Teotihuacan.'  Amongst  the  Chichimecs,  on  the  con- 
trary, cremation  was  the  general  practice.*  Human  sacri- 
fices' accompanied  funeral  ceremonies;  women  were  burned 
alive  upon  the  funeral  pile  of  their  husbands,  and  they  ac- 
cepted this  cruel  death  with  joy.  for  it  opened  to  them  the 
first  celestial  sphere,  where  they  could  follow  their  husbands. 
If    they  refused    to  submit  to  this  sacrifice,    their  future 

'  "  Relaciones,"  loc.  cil.,  pp.  325,  327,  332,  388. 

•  "  La  gente  meniuK-i  comunmcnte  se  enterrana,"  CJomara,  Ice.  (if.,  fol. 
308. 

'  Sahagun  :  "Hist.  Gen.,"  vol.  III.,  book  X.,  p.  141.   Ixtlilxochitl,  loc.cit., 

p.  327- 

*  Torquemada :  "  Monarquia    Indiana,"  Madrid,     1723,  vol.     I.,    pp.    60, 

72,  87. 

'  The  victims  were  generally  prisoners  of  war.  At  royal  funerals  were  alsi> 
ofTered  up  those  who  were  born  in  the  five  complementary  days  of  their 
year,  which  were  looked  upon  as  of  bad  omen.  Ixtlilxochitl,  loc.  cit.,  p.  37() 
and  388.  Veytia  ;  "  Hist.  Antigua  de  Mejico,"  Mexico,  1S36,  vol.  III.,  pp. 
8,  elseq. 


I 


pr— 


.1 


278 


PKE.//ISTORIC  AMERICA. 


\u\ 


>  ) 


'■.' 


i  I 


life  had  to  be  passed  in  Mictlan,  a  gloomy  and  solitary 
abode. 

The  Toltecs  formed  a  grand  confederation  of  tribes,  under 
the  government  of  hereditary  chiefs.  Wy  a  somewhat  strange 
condition,  of  which  we  know  no  other  example  in  the  his- 
tory of  races,  the  rulers  could  only  reign  for  a  cycle  of 
years  {Xuihtnolpilli). — This  cycle  was  fixed  at  fift\'-two 
years,  and  when  this  time,  which,  it  must  be  admitted,  was 
of  considerable  length,  was  accomplished,  the  chief  handed 
over  to  his  successor  the  power  and  insignia  of  office.  An- 
other obligation,  little  in  harmony  with  the  customs  of  the 
Nahuas,  with  whom  concubinage  was  legal,  was  imposed 
upon  the  chief :  he  could  not  have  more  than  one  wife,  and 
if  she  died  before  him,  he  was  forbidden  to  re-marry,  and  he 
could  not  even  take  a  concubine.  Second  marriage  was 
also  forbidden  to  the  wives  of  rulers.' 

The  traditions  which  have  come  down  to  us  of  the  mag- 
nificence of  the  Toltec  rulers  are  interesting,  and  probably 
much  exaggerated.  The  palace  of  Quctzacoatl,'  according 
to  these  legends,  contained  four  principal  rooms:  the  first 
opened  on  the  east  and  was  called  the  Gilded  Chamber  ;  its 
walls  were  covered  with  finely  chased  plaques  of  gold  ;  an 
Emerald  and  Turquoise  Room  was  on  the  west,  and  as  its 
name  implies,  the  walls  were  encrusted  with  these  stones ; 
the  walls  of  the  southern  room  were  ornamented  with  shells 
of  brilliant  colors,  set  in  plaques  of  silver  ;  and  lastly,  the 
northern  room  was  of  finely  wrought  red  jasper.  In  another 
palace,  the  walls  of  all  the  rooms  were  hidden  by  tapestries 
of  feathers;  in  one  the  feathers  were  yellow;  in  another, 
blue  taken  from  the  wings  of  a  bird  called  Xnihtototl.  In 
the  southern  room  the  feathers  were  white,  and  in  that  on 
the  north  they  were  red.' 

Side  by  side  with  the  Toltecs,  in  the  mountainous  regions 
of  the  north  of  Mexico,  lived  numerous  savage  tribes,  in- 

'  Bancroft,  vol.  II.,  p.  265. 

*  We  should  liave  remarked  that  the  termination  //,  so  characteristic  of  the 
Nahuatl  language,  is  met  with  again  in  the  Indian  dialects  of  the  Pacific  coast. 
'Sahagun,  "  Hist.  Gen,"  vol.  III.,  iiook  X.,  p.  107. 


ITWHil 


Tin:   PEOPLE  OF  CENTRAL   AMERICA. 


279 


eluded  under  the  general  name  of  Chichimccs,  of  which  the 
more  important  were  the  Pames,  Otomes,  Pintos,  Micho- 
caques,  and  Tarascos.  These  people,  chiefly  of  the  Nahuatl 
race,  and  coming  originally  from  the  same  district  as  the 
Toltecs,  were  plunged  in  the  most  complete  barbarism. 
They  despised  all  culture,  and  their  only  occupation  was  to 
hunt  game  in  the  forests  which  covered  a  great  part  of  their 
territory,  even  tc  the  summit  of  the  loftiest  mountains.  No 
flesh  came  amiss  to  them  ;  they  ate  wolves,  pumas,  weasels, 
moles,  and  mice  ;  failing  them,  lizards,  snakes,  grasshoppers 
and  earth-worms.' 

Spanish  historians  report  that  in  the  sixteenth  century  the 
Chichimecs  wandered  about  completely  naked,  or  wearing 
only  the  skins  of  beasts,  which  they  flung  over  their  shoulders, 
with  the  hair  inside  in  the  winter  and  outside  in  the  summer. 
Most  of  them  lived  in  caves,  or  rock-shelters.  Some  of  them, 
however,  knew  how  to  shelter  themselves,  either  by  placing 
a  roof  of  palm-leaves  upon  jiosts  sunk  in  the  ground,  or  by 
driving  trunks  of  trees  into  the  earth,  which  were  then 
bound  together  with  creepers.  Where  wood  was  scarce, 
they  replaced  it  with  clay,  dried  in  the  sun  and  cut  into 
adobes.  Inside  these  huts  hung  a  few  reed  mats,  which  with 
gourds  and  very  rude  pottery  made  up  all  their  household 
goods.  On  this  pottery,  however,  a  certain  artistic  feeling 
is  already  discernible,  and  black  figures,  executed  with  taste, 
often  stand  out  upon  a  red  ground. 

Constantly  at  war  with  their  neighbors,  they  often  under- 
took raids,  and  could  repulse  with  energy  every  attack  upon 
their  own  territor)-.  Their  weapons  were  bows  and  arrows, 
slings,  with  which  they  flung  little  pottery  balls,  which 
caused  dangerous  wounds,  and  above  all,  clubs,  which  were 
formidable  weapons  in  their  hands,' 

The  warriors  wore  a  bone  at  their  waist,  and  on  this  bone, 
in  testimony  of  their  courage,  they  made  a  mark  for  every 

'  Jos.  de  Acosta,  "  Hist.  Natural  y  moral  de  las  Yiidias."     Seville,  1580. 
*  Ixtlilxochitl :  "  Hist.  Chic,"  /.  c,  p.  214.    Gomara  ;  /.  c,  p.  298.    Torquc- 
mada  :  /.<■.,  p.  38. 


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PRE-IIISTOKIC  AMERICA. 


enemy  that  they  killed.  Tlie  prisoners  were  treated  with 
unlieard-of  cruelty,  and  perished  under  tlic  most  horrible 
torture.  The  conqueror  often  scalped  them  on  the  field  of 
battle,  and  the  bleedinji  scalp  became  a  i;lorious  trophy. 
The  heads  of  the  victims  were  carried  in  triumph  round  the 
cajnps,  in  the  midst  of  dances  and  rejoicinjjs  celebrating  the 
victory.  The  horror  and  terror  with  which  the  Toltecs  re- 
garded these  people  can  be  imagined.  They  called  them 
barbarians  and  drinkers  t)f  blood,  on  account  of  their  taste 
for  the  blood  of  their  victims,  and  their  habit  of  eating 
strips  of  raw  flesh.  This  reputation  survived  their  defeat, 
and  after  the  Spanish  conquest,  Zarfate'  speaks  of  them  aa 
the  greatest  homicides,  and  the  greatest  thi'.-ves  in  the  whole 
world.  The  very  name  of  Chichimec,  which  is  said  to  be 
derived  from  chichi    log,  was  a  grave  insult. 

Rude  though  they  were,  the  Chichimecs  had  a  religion. 
They  adored  the  sun  as  Mie  supreme  god,"  and  tliey  also 
worshipped  lightning,  represented  by  the  god  Mixcoatl '  (the 
Serpent  of  Clouds),  who,  like  the  anticjue  Jupiter,  was  fig- 
ured with  thunder-bolts  in  his  hands. 

Nearly  all  these  independent  tribes,  always  at  war  with 
each  other,  obeyed  chiefs  selected  by  themselve:;.  Some, 
however,  acknowledged  no  authority,  and  merely  elected 
a  warrior  to  lead  them  to  battle.  .Still  some  laws  appear 
to  have  been  observed  amongst  these  wild  races:  children 
could  not  marry  without  the  consent  of  their  parents,  and 
the  violation  of  this  rule  involved  the  death  of  those  guilty  of 
it.  Marriage  was  pronounced  null  if,  the  day  after  the  wed- 
ding, the  husband  declared  his  wife  not  to  be  a  virgin. 
Ilerrera,  moreover,  says  that  the  Chichimecs  could  only  have 
one  wife,  though  it  is  true  that  they  repudiated  her  on  the 

'  Reproduced  by  Alegrc,  "liist.  de  la  Campa&ia  dc  Jesus  en  Nueva  Espafia." 
Mexico,  1841,  vol.  I.,  p.  281. 

'Alegrc,  /.  <■.,  vol.  I.,  p.  270. 

•Also  called  Ixtac  Mixcoatl,  the  white  nebulous  serpent  ;  recent  re- 
searches point  to  the  coi)clu>ion  that  he  was  the  same  as  Taras,  the  chief 
god  of  the  Tarascos  ;  or  Comaxtli,  the  god  of  the  Teochichimecs.  Brintoiv. 
'•  Tlic  Myths  of  the  New  World."     New  York.  1868. 


mmmmm 


THE   PEOPLE  OF  CENTRAL   AMERICA. 


aSi 


slightest  pretext,  to  rcpiaix-  licr  by  another.  Tlicsc  wives 
were  practically  slaves;  u\\  them  fell  all  the  work  of  the 
house,  the  preparation  of  food,  the  weaving'  t)f  cloth,  the 
making  of  mats  and  pottery,  the  felling  of  trees,  and 
the  fetching  of  the  wood  and  water  neetled  b)'  the  whole 
family.  The  cares  of  maternity  made  no  break  in  their 
arduous  labor;  whilst  they  were  engaged  in  tluin  they 
merely  hung  a  basket  upon  a  tree,  in  which  they  i)iit  their 
children,  whom  they  (»ften  suckled  till  they  were  six  or 
seven  years  old. 

Such  is  the  picture  given  to  us  by  liistorians  of  the  barba- 
rians who  were  to  concpiLr  the  Toltecs.  What  seems  still 
more  difTicult  to  believe,  is  that  the  concpierors  .  i  once 
adopted  the  manners,  c  'stoms,  and  social  status  of  thi  con- 
quered, and  the  Chichimec  supremacy  was  nothing  more 
than  a  continuation  of  the  Toltec.  Must  wt  '  !K n  admit 
that,  towarj  the  end  of  the  eleventh  ceniiiry  or  tl'  be- 
ginning ot  the  twelfth,  aftir  unknown  revolutions  and 
sf.;:ggles,  these  savage  tribes  obtained  the  supremacN.and  in 
their  turn  dominated  Central  America?  Is  it  not  more 
natural  to  conclude  that  there  is  some  confusion  in  t!ie  ac- 
count of  the  Spanish  chroniclers,  the  sole  sources  of  our  in- 
formation ?  This  confusion  may  be  thus  explained.  The 
name  of  Chichimec  was  given  alike  to  the  barbarous  tribes 
of  the  north  and  to  the  chiefs  of  Te/cuco.  It  might  then 
have  been  these  latter,  allied  perha])s  with  a  few  wilder 
tribes,  who  were  the  true  coiujuerors  of  the  Toltecs. 

The  culture  of  the  Tezcuans  was  no  less  advanced  than 
that  of  the  nation  they  were  destinetl  to  reduce  to  sub- 
mission. The  chiefs  of  Tezcuco  are  reported  to  ha\e  been 
as  magnificent  as  those  of  the  Toltecs.  IxtlilxocliitI  '  gives 
an  undoubtedly  exaggerated  account  of  the  palaces,  gar- 
dens, and  lakes,  made  at  great  cost,  and  of  the  manage- 
ment of  the  forests  preserved  for  hunting,  which  may  be 
ascribed  to  a  natural  desire  to  magnify  the  importance 
of  his  race  in   a   manner  which  would    compel  the  admir- 

'"Hist.  Chichimeca."    KinRsborough,  "Ant.  of  Mex.,"  vol.  IX.,  p.  251. 


■ 


282 


PRE.HJSTO/ilC  AMERICA. 


ation  of  its  conquerors,  accustomed  as  the  latter  were 
to  kings  and  courts  belonging  to  a  totally  distinct  sta^^e 
of  culture.  He  has  pretended  to  enumerate  the  names 
of  towns  which  had  to  supply  the  service  of  the  ruling 
chief.  Twenty-eight  amongst  them  had  to  furnish  men 
to  take  care  of  the  palace;  five  others,  the  servants  immedi- 
ately attached  to  the  person  of  the  chief ;  whilst  eight 
provinces  sent  gardeners,  foresters  and  laborers.  Tezcuco 
was  built  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Lake  of  Mexico  ;  the 
waters  arc  dried  up,  and  the  modern  town  is  several  miles 
off.  But  few  traces  remain  of  its  alleged  grandeur.  Mayer 
speaks  of  substructures  of  adobes,  covering  squares  of  400 
feet.  They  are  supposed  to  be  the  foundations  of  ancient 
pyramids;  bits  of  pottery,  numerous  idols,  chips  of  obsidian, 
and  other  rubbish,  have  been  picked  up  all  about  them. 
The  power  of  the  Chichimcc  chief  who  invaded  the 
country  of  the  Toltecs  is  still  further  illustrated,  if  we  attach 
importance  to  such  evidence  as  we  have  cited,  b\'  the  num- 
ber of  those  who  followed  him  in  this  expedition.  Accord- 
ing to  the  historian  quoted  above  (pp.  337-375),  Xolotl  had 
under  his  orders  3,202,000  men  and  women,  and  he  is  care- 
ful to  add  that  he  does  not  include  amongst  them  the  chil- 
dren who  accompanied  their  mothers.  The  absurdity  of  this 
is  obvious.  Torquemada,'  though  he  confesses  that  this 
account  may  appear  exaggerated,  relates  that  the  historic 
paintings  which  are  relied  on  to  atttest  these  facts,  are  sup- 
posed to  enumerate  a  million  warriors,  under  the  order  of 
six  grand  chiefs  and  twenty  thousand  or  even  twenty-two 
thousand  chiefs  of  inferior  rank.  Nothing  can  be  more  ob- 
scure than  the  date  of  this  invasion.  Veytia  ("  Hist.  Ant. 
Mej.,"  vol.  n.,  p.  7)  fixes  the  Chichimcc  victory  in  11 17; 
Ixtlilxochitl  seems  to  confuse  the  facts,  or  at  least  he  assigns 
to  them  several  different  dates,  varying  from  962  to  1015 
("  Ant.  of  Mex.,"  vol.  IX.,  pp.  208,  337,  395, 45 1).  Clavigero 
speaks  of  1170.  Other  historians  will  have  it  that  the  fall 
of  the  Toltcc    league    preceded     the    Chichimec    invasion. 

'  "  Monarquiii  Indiana,"  vol.  1.,  p.  44. 


ftrr,**- 


THE  PEOPLE  OF  CENTRAL  AMERICA. 


283 


They  differ  as  much  about  the  facts  as  about  the  dates.  In 
truth  the  evidence  throughout  is  more  legendary  than  his- 
torical. 

The  Toltecs,  enervated  by  luxury,  pleasure,  and  the  most 
shameful  debauchery,  decimated  by  pestilental  maladies, 
abandoned  by  the  allies  they  had  oppressed  and  by  their 
own  subjects,  who  in  consequence  of  a  religious  schism  had 
emigrated  in  great  numbers  to  more  favored  regions,  yet 
gave  proof,  in  this  supreme  danger,  of  manly  energy.  Their 
chief  Acxtitl  called  all  his  subj  icts  to  arms ;  the  old  men 
and  children  took  weapons  in  hand  ;  Xochitl,  mothei  of 
the  chief,  is  said  to  have  been  killed  fighting  valiantly  at 
the  head  of  a  legion  of  Amazons.  But  these  efforts  came 
too  late ;  the  Toltecs  were  completely  defeated  and  nearly 
exterminated,  after  repeated  conflicts  lastin^,-  several  days.' 
Tolan  their  capital  was  taken  ;  the  country  submitted  ;  and 
Xolotl  took  the  title  of  CJiichimccatl  Tecuhtli,  the  great  chief 
of  the  Chichimecs.  His  descendants  added  to  this  pompous 
title  that  of  Huactlatohani,  lord  of  the  world. 

To  confirm  his  power,  he  divided  the  country  into  several 
provinces,  which  he  gave  in  fief  to  his  principal  officers  on 
condition  of  their  subordination  to  him  ;  and  by  a  skilful 
policy  he  planned  that  his  eldest  son  Nopaltzin  should 
marry  a  daughter  of  the  Toltec  ruling  family.' 

It  is  not  our  intention  to  narrate  the  supposed  history  of 
the  Chichimecs.  We  may  mention  among  the  Chichimec 
chiefs  who  succeeded  Xolotl,  his  son  Nopaltzin,  Tlotzin, 
Pochotl,  who  ruled  from  1305  to  1359,  Ixtlilxochitl,  who 
died  about  1419,  Tezozomoc,  who  usurped  the  power  of  the 
son  of  Ixtlilxochitl,  and  reigned  eight  years,  and  lastly 
Maxtla,  who  possessed  himself  of  the  chieftainship  by  the 
murder  of  his  eldest  brother.'  Their  history  is  the  relation 
of  a   succession  of  revolts,  bloody  wars,  conspiracies,  and 

'  We  follow  the  account  given  by  Ixtlilxochitl ;  that  of  Veytia,  "  Hist.  Ant. 
Mej,"  vol.  I.,  p.  302-3)  presc.its  notable  differences  ;  so  does  that  of  Brasseur 
■de  Bourbourg  ("  Hist.  des.  Nat.  Civ.,"  vol.  I.,  p.  405,  etc.). 

'  Brasseur  de  Bourbourg,  quoted  above,  vol.  I.,  p.  236. 

•See  Bancroft,  /.  c,  vol.  V.,  chs.  V.,  VI.,  .ind  VII. 


4  i 


i 


i    I 


H 


f.! 


1' 


i 


ii! 


284 


PRE-HlSrORIC  AMERICA. 


revolutions,  which  was  to  end  in  1431  in  the  triple  alliance  of 
the  Aztecs,  Acolhuas,  and  Tepanecs,  and  then  in  the  ephem- 
eral triumph  of  the  Aztecs  as  conquerors  of  all  their  rivals. 
The  Tepanecs  and  the  Acolhuas  had  been  the  faithful  al- 
lies of  Xolotl  in  his  struggles  with  the  Toltecs,  and  their 
chiefs  took  a  subordinate  place  in  the  new  league.  They 
had  long  been  established  in  Anahuac  when  the  Aztecs 
arrived  there.  Both  had  probably  formed  part  of  some  of 
the  numerous  immigrations  which  succeeded  each  other  in 
Central  America.'  All  these  men  came  from  a  country'  to 
which  the  unanimous  accounts  of  the  chroniclers  give  the 
name  of  Aztlan.  Where  was  this  land,  this  officina  gentiuiHy 
which  throughout  more  than  five  centuries  sent  southward 
whole  nations,  all  speaking  the  same  language  ;  practising 
the  same  rights ;  accepting  the  same  cosmogony ;  all  under 
the  rule  of  sacerdotal  orders  strictly  supervised  by  priests ; 
with  the  same  divisions  of  time,  the  same  hieroglyphical 
paintings,  the  same  taste  for  noting  and  registering  events  ; 
and  who  understood  each  other  without  difficulty,  recogniz- 
ing their  common  origin?  There  arc  few  points  more  ob- 
scure and  more  hotly  contested  than  the  situation  of  Aztlan. 
It  has  been  sought  in  turn  in  California,  Mississippi,  New 
Mexico,  Florida,  Zacatecas,  and  in  yet  other  regions.  All 
these  hypotheses  have  been  brought  forward,  and  there  is 
something  to  be  said  for  them  all.  The  importance  of  the 
question  is  assuredly  considerable,  for,  if  there  be  a  connec- 
tion between  the  Nahuas  and  the  Northern  Indians,  it  is  to 
Aztlan  that  we  must  look  for  it.'' 

'Bancroft,  loc.  r//.  vol.  V.,  p.  305.  F,  von  Helhvald  :  "The  American 
Migrations,"  Smitli.    Contr.,  1866. 

'IJrasseurde  Bourbourg  ("Hist,  des  Nat.  Civilisees,"  vol.  II.,  p.  292) 
places  Aztlan  in  California  ;  Humboldt  ("  Researches  concerning  the  institu- 
lions  and  monuments  of  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  America,"  translated  by 
Helen  Maria  Williams,  1814),  about  42°  north  latitude.  Foster:  "Preh. 
Races,"  p.  340.  Vetancurt  ("Teatro  Mexicano,"  part  II.,  p.  20)  speaks  of 
New  Mexico.  Fontaine  ("  How  the  World  was  Peopled,"  p.  149)  looks  upon 
the  earthworks  of  Mississippi  as  witnesses  to  Aztec  migrations.  Pritchard 
("Nat.  Hist,  of  Man,"  vol.  II.,  pp.  514-5)  sees  in  the  Moquis  the  last  de- 
scendants  of  the   Atzecs.     Bandclier   sny<,    in   speaking  of  Chicomoztoc  (the 


■HP!)* 


;   ' 


THE  PEOPLE  OF  CENTRAL  AMERICA. 


285 


The  Aztecs  had  left  Aztlan  at  the  same  time  as  the  people 
who  had  preceded  them  in  Anahuac ;  but  according  to 
tradition  they  halted  for  a  lon^  time  at  Chicomoztoc'  It 
was  not  therefore  until  much  later,  between  1 186  and  1194,' 
if  we  adopt  the  date  given  by  the  Codex  Chimalpopoca, 
that  they  established  themselves  at  Chapultcpec.  Their 
early  settlement  was  full  of  difficulties ;  overcome  by  their 
neij^hbors,  with  whom  they  were  perpetually  at  war,  they 
were  forced  to  leave  the  country  where  they  had  established 
themselves,  and  compelled  to  take  refuge  in  the  midst  of  al- 
most inaccessible  marshes,  dotted  here  and  there  by  a  few 
wretched  islets  of  sand.  It  was  on  one  of  these  islets  that 
they  founded  Tenochtitlan,  or  Mexico.'  Hunting  and  fish- 
ing could  not  long  supply  the  needs  of  a  population  which 
rapidly  increased.  Hy  dint  of  hard  work  the  Aztecs 
managed  to  make  gardens  in  the  water  in  which  grew  maize 
and    other    plants.*      Then,    the   water   of   the   lake    being 

seven  caves) :  "  These  caves  are  in  Aztlan,  a  country  which  we  all  know  to  be 
toward  the  north  and  connected  with  Florida."  "  Report,  Pc-ihody  Museum," 
vol.  II.,  p.  95,  etc.).  Clavigero  ("St.  Ant.  del  Messico,"  vol.  I.,  p.  156) 
mentions  the  Colorado  as  the  stream  that  all  accounts  say  was  crossed  by  the 
emigrants  ;  whilst  Itoturini  ("  Idea  de  una  nueva  hist,  general  <le  la  America 
Septentrional"  pp.  126-8)  has  it  that  the  Gulf  of  California  is  referred  to. 
Lastly  Bancroft  (quoted  above,  vol.  V.,  p.  322),  who  believes  Aztlan  to  have 
been  in  the  south  nc.ir  Anahuac,  concludes  thus  :  "  We  have  no  means  of  de- 
termining, in  a  manner  at  all  satisfactory,  whether  Aztlan  and  Chicomoztoc 
were  in  Central  America  or  in  Zacaiecas  and  Jalisco ;  nor  indeed  of  proving 
that  they  were  not  in  Alaska,  in  New  Mexico,  or  on  the  Mississippi,"  a  remark 
with  which  we  heartily  concur. 

'  Bancroft  gives  the  whole  of  the  march  of  the  Aztecs.  Chicomoztoc  is  sup- 
posed to  be  the  seven  caves  celebrated  in  all  legends.  Cienerally,  Chicomoztoc 
is  placed  in  the  same  place  as  Aztlan. 

'In  1 140  or  in  IJ89,  according  to  two  different  dates  given  by  IxtlilxochitI ; 
in  1245,  according  to  Clavigero  ;  in  1298,  according  to  'eyiia,  Gama,  and  Gal- 
latin ;  in  1331,  according  to  Gondra.  The  margin  as  wl  see  is  wide.  The 
Codex  Chimalpopoca  is  dated  May  22,  1538.  Bancroft  may  be  consulted  (/.  <-., 
vol.  v.,  p.  192),  who  gives  interesting  details  bearing  upon  the  question. 

'This  settlement  took  place  about  1325.  Duran  cited  by  Bancroft  (/.  c,  vol. 
I.,  chap.  IV-VI.  ;  Veytia  :  "  Hist.  Ant.  de  Mejico,"  vol.  II.,  p.  156  ;  TorquL- 
mada  :  "  Mon.  Ind.,"  vol.  I.,  p.  92,  288,  et  seq.  ;  IxtlilxochitI :  /.  c,  vol.  IX., 
p,  461  ;  F.  de  AlvaredoTezozomoc,  "Chron.  Mexicana,"  Kingsborough,  vol.  IX. 

^Bandelier:  "  Report,  Peabody  Museum,"  vol.  II.,  p.  403.      These  gardens 


ll 


286 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


)1 


\ 


M 


■•4k    111 


brackish,  they  obtained,  by  paying  an  annual  tribute,  the 
right  of  fetching  from  the  shore  the  fresh  water  which  was 
needed  in  their  homes. 

Such  was  the  humble  beginning  of  the  Aztecs  ;  but  their 
subsequent  history  is  even  more  confused  than  that  of  the 
people  of  whom  we  have  been  speaking.  One  of  the  causes 
of  this  confusion  was  the  constant  rivalry  between  the 
two  regions  of  Tenochtitian  and  Tezcuco,  and  the  want  of 
care  taken  by  the  first  Spanish  chroniclers  in  distinguishing 
between  the  facts  relating  to  each  of  the  two  countries. 

It  seems  that  as  we  approach  the  end  of  this  bloody  era 
tradition  itself  is  effaced.  As  under  the  Chichimec  domina- 
tion we  find  whole  series  of  wars  and  revolts,  of  struggles 
and  submissions.  Brasseur  de  Bourbourg  (/.  c,  vol.  III.,  p. 
194,  it  si'(j.,)  gives  a  full  account  of  them.  Unfortunately 
he  is  ine.xact  on  a  multitude  of  points.  The  chief  wars  car- 
ried on  by  the  Aztecs  wore  against  the  kingdom  of  Micho- 
acan,  inhabited  by  the  Tarascos,  a  branch  of  the  Toltccs,  on 
the  west ;  and  against  the  Miztecs  and  Zapotccs  on  the 
south.  In  the  midst  of  this  tumult  the  power  of  the  Aztecs 
was  ever  on  the  increase.  Their  alliance  with  the  Acolhuas  and 
the  Tjpanecs,  against  Ma.xtia,  the  last  Chichimec  chief,  end- 
ing with  his  defeat,  inaugurated  a  new  era  in  their  history. 
After  the  victory  a  confederation  was  formed  between  the 
conquerors.  Xezahualcoyotl,  son  of  Ixtlilxochitl,  from 
whom  Tezozomoc  had  usurped  the  chieftainship,  in  his  turn 
took  the  title  of  Chichimccatl  Tccuhtli.  Tezcuco  was  his 
capital ;  that  of  the  Tepanecs  was  Tlacolpan  ;  and  that  of  the 
Aztecs,  as  we  have  seen,  Tenochtitian. 

From  this  moment  the  Aztecs  progressed  rapidly ;  from 
the  marshes  where  they  had  found  a  refuge  after  their  first 
disasters,  their  power  spread  to  the  shores  of  the  two  oceans. 
Their  conquests  were  won  by  their  victorious  arms  alone;  no 
town  voluntarily  accepted  their  yoke  ;  no  nation  sought  their 
alliances.      The   people,  were  harshly  oppressed  by   their 

have  been  tenned  "  floating"  but  they  were  probably  merely  soft  and  swampy 
islets. 


% 


...Hl.;i^i.'l..^i.'Jil.Al — 


MM— IWiiliriJiNilil.ll 


THE  PEOPLE   OF  CENTRAL  AMERICA. 


287- 


foreign  conquerors  and  loaded  with  odious  taxes.  Tribute 
was  paid  in  kind,  and  consisted  of  cereals,  cotton  garments, 
pipes,  rushes,  aromatic  spices,  and  various  other  articles. 
Some  towns  of  the  Pacific  were  compelled  to  send  annually 
4,000  bunches  of  feathers,  200  sacks  of  cacao,  forty  wild-cat 
skins,  and  160  birds  of  a  rare  species.  The  Zapotecs  were 
mulcted  to  the  extent  of  forty  sheets  of  gold,  of  a  fixed 
weight,  and  twenty  sacks  of  cochineal.  Certain  nomad  tribes 
had  to  contribute  jars  filled  with  gold  dust.  The  towns  of 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico  sent  20,000  bunches  of  feathers,  six 
emerald  necklaces,  twenty  rings  of  amber  or  gold,  and  16,000 
packages  of  gum.  All  had  to  contribute  to  the  tribute,  and 
those  who  were  too  wretched  to  do  so  were  obliged  to 
furnish  a  certain  number  of  serpents  or  scorpions.  It  is 
alleged  that  Alonso  de  Ojcda  and  Alonso  de  Mata,  men- 
tioned among  the  companions  of- Cortes,  as  the  first  to  enter 
the  so-called  royal  palace  of  Mexico,  noticed  some  carefully 
piled  up  sacks.  They  hastened  to  take  possession  of  them, 
hoping  for  a  rich  booty.  These  bags  were  filled  with  lice, 
and  were  part  of  the  tribute  of  a  province.  Torquemada 
(loc.  cit.,  vol.  i.,  p.  461),  who  is  responsible  for  this  extra- 
ordinary statement,  adds  :  "  Ai  quicn  diga,  que  non  eran 
Piojos  sino  Gusanillos  ;  pero  Alonso  de  Ojeda  en  sus  memori- 
ales  lo  certifica  de  vista,  y  lo  mismo  Alonso  de  Mata."  ' 
The  conquered  people,  pillaged  and  oppressed  by  Mexican 
traders,  who  were  very  expert  in  this  kind  of  traffic,  were 
constantly  in  revolt.  Every  fresh  rising  was  quenched  in 
blood,  and  thousands  of  human  victims  perished  on  the  altars 
of  Mexico  in  honor  of  the  victories.  In  reading  these  de- 
tails, wc  understand  the  hatred  of  the  vanquished,  and  the 
devotion  manifested  by  the  allies  of  Cortes." 

Mexico,  the  first  houses  of  which  had  been  a  few  miserable 
reed  or  earth  huts,  grew  with  the  power  of  its  inhabitants, 
and  soon  became  a  town  worthy  of  the  dominion  of  which 

'Tezozomoc  may  also  be  consulted.  "Cron.  Mex.,"  Kingsborough,  vol.  IX. 
Clavigero:  "  St.  Ant.  del  Messico,"  vol.  I.  p.  275.  Bancroft,  /.  c.  vol.  II.  p. 
233  and  234. 

•Bancroft,  /.  c,  vol.  V.,  p.  481. 


I     ^' 


288 


PKE-IIISTORIC  AMERICA. 


i       ^1 


IJ  if" 


it  was  the  capital.'  On  every  side  rose  the  buildings  of  the 
rulers,  and  temples  of  the  native  or  foreign  gods" ;  for  as  in 
ancient  Rome,  the  divinities  of  the  conquered  people  be- 
came those  of  the  conquerors.  Nor  were  more  useful  works 
wanting.  Viaducts,  supplemented  by  large  bridges  con- 
structed on  scientific  principles,  were  erected  by  the  tribu- 
tary or  allied  tribes,  rendering  communication  easy.'  A 
dyke  seven  or  eight  miles  long,  and,  according  to  different 
accounts,  thirty  to  sixty  feet  wide,  was  intended  to  protect 
the  city  of  Mexico  against  inundations.*  The  inhabitants 
were  supplied  with  water  by  means  of  aqueducts,  and  as 
early  as  1446,  this  water  was  conducted  from  Chapultepec 
to  the  capital  tlirough  earthenware  pipes. 

Tile  prosperity  of  Tezcuco  was  not  inferior  to  that  of 
Mexico,  and  the  figures  of  two  of  its  rulers  stand  out  to  re- 
lieve the  monotony  of  the  history  of  Anahuac.  Thanks  to 
the  wise  administration  of  Nezahualcoyotl,  Tezcuco  had  be- 
come the  centre  of  the  art  and  culture  of  that  people. °  The 
chief  liiniself  was  a  distinguished  poet.  IxtlilxochitI,  his 
descendant  in  the  direct  line,  has  preserved  some  of  his 
poems,"  which  were  still  famous  at  the  time  of  the  conquest. 

'The  Mexican  chiefs  previous  to  ilic  Spanish  conquest  were  Ilzcoatl  who  died, 
1440  ;  Moiitczunia  I.  to  1469  ;  Axayacatl  to  1481  ;  Tizoc  to  i486  ;  AhuizotI 
to  1503  ;   Montt'/.uma  II.  to  1520. 

'  ToKjuemada  allejjes  that  there  were  more  than  forty  thousand  temples  or 
teocailis  in  Mexico. 

''  "  ll;iy  siH  inientes  de  muy  anchas,  y  muy  grandes  vigas  juntas  y  recias  y 
bien  lahradas,  y  tales  que  por  muchas  dellas  pueden  passar  diez  de  caballo 
juntos  a  la  par."  Cories  :  "  Cartas,"  p.  203. 

■*  Wytia,  vol.  111.,  p.  247.  Torquemada,  vol.  I.,  p.  157.  Clavigero,  vol.  I., 
p.  233.      Hrasseur  do  liourbourg,  vol  III.,  p.  228. 

'  Sagahun  describes  the  education  given  to  the  sons  and  daughters  of  the 
chief.  He  mentions  a  discourse  addressed  by  Nezahualcoyotl  to  his  children, 
remarkable  for  the  elevated  sentiments  displayed  in  it. 

'  Four  odes  are  given  in  Lord  Kingsborough's  collection  (vol.  VIII.,  pp.  110- 
115).  One  is  an  imprecation  against  Tezozomoc,  who  had  usurped  the  throne 
of  Nezahualcoyoii's  ancestors  ;  another  is  the  ode  on  the  vicissitudes  of  life, 
from  wliich  the  above  quotation  is  taken  ;  the  third,  recited  at  a  banquet,  is  a 
comparison  between  the  chiefs  of  Anahuac  and  precious  stones.  Lastly,  the 
fourth,  celebrates  the  dedication  of  a  royal  palace,  and  enlarges  upon  the  per- 
ishable nature  of  earthly  grandeur.     Bancroft,  (vol.  II,,  p.  494)  gives  an  Eng- 


r-  !» 


THE  PEOPLE   OF  CENTRAL  AMERICA. 


389 


We  will  only  quote  one  strophe,  from  an  ode  on  the  vicissl- 
tudcs  of  life,  in  which  the  chief,  speaking  of  himself,  writes : 
"  No,  thou  shalt  not  be  forgotten  ;  no,  the  good  which  thou 
hast  done  shall  not  be  lost  unto  men  ;  for  is  not  the  throne 
which  thou  occupiest  the  gift  of  the  matchless  God,  the  pow- 
erful creator  of  all  things,  who  makes  and  who  brings  down 
chiefs  and  rulers  ?  "  We  may  add  that  the  succeeding  strophes 
express  similar  sentiments,  which  it  seems  strange  to  find  in 
a  man  in  the  state  of  culture  of  the  Mexicans ;  they  breathe 
disdain  of  that  pomp  of  which  the  chief  had  learned  to  feel  the 
vanity ;  if  they  are  genuine,  they  would  justify  to  a  certain 
degree  the  assertion  of  the  Spanish  historian,  who  tells  us 
that  Nezahualcoyotl  worshipped  one  invisible  god,  the  ap- 
pearance of  whom  it  was  impossible  for  mortal  to  conceive. 

Nezahualcoyotl  died  about  1472  ;  he  left  only  one  legiti- 
mate son,  but  more  than  a  hundred  children  by  his  concu- 
bines ;  that  son — Nezahuapilli — succeeded  him  ;  he  proved 
himself,  like  his  father,  skilful  in  war,  just,  always  severe, 
often  inexorable,  merciful  toward  the  weak,  generous  toward 
his  subjects.  Like  his  father,  he  was  addicted  to  pleasure, 
and  he  is  said  to  have  had  in  his  palace  more  than  two  thou- 
sand concubines.  He  had  also  several  legitimate  wives. 
The  daughter  of  Axacayatl,  of  whom  we  shall  speak,  was 
among  the  number,  as  were  three  nieces  of  Tizoc. 

Among  his  wives  was  a  daughter  of  Axacayatl,  ruler  of 
Mexico ;  she  was  very  young,  and  a  private  palace  had  been 
assigned  to  her  until  the  time  when  the  marriage  should  be 
consummated.  She  was  noted  for  her  beauty,  and  the  king 
paid  her  frequent  visits  ;  each  time  he  noticed,  in  a  room 
where  he  was,  a  great  number  of  statues  covered  with  rich 
robes ;  but,  not  wishing  to  thwart  his  wife  in  her  tastes,  he 
made  no  remark  upon  them.  One  day  he  saw  the  queen's 
ring  on  the  finger  of  one  of  his  principal  courtiers.  His  sus- 
picions were  awakened,  and  the  same  evening  he  paid  a  visit 

lish  translation  of  two  of  these  odes.  F.  W.  v.  MUller  ("  Reisen  in  den  Ver- 
einigten  Staten,  Canada,  und  Mexico,"  Leipzig,  1864,  vol.  III.,  pp.  128-141)  re- 
publishes two  other  odes  previously  unknown. 


i    t    ■   »! 


I 


290 


P/f/:.///STOA/C  AMERICA. 


to  the  palace  of  Chalchiuhuenetzin.  The  queen,  accordirifr 
to  the  asseverations  of  her  attendants,  was  asleep.  Neza- 
huapilli  went  into  her  room  ;  a  lay  fifjurc,  dressed  in  the 
queen's  clothes,  occupied  her  place  in  the  royal  bed.  The 
Idng,  whose  suspicions  were  justly  confirmed,  pursued  his 
researches,  and  in  a  secret  part  of  the  palace  he  saw  his 
young  wife,  completely  naked,  dancing  with  three  of  his 
principal  officers.  The  statues  were  those  of  her  lovers, 
and  by  a  strange  whim  she  had  had  them  represented  in 
the  costume  which  they  had  worn  the  first  time  they  had 
enjoyed  her  favors.  The  punishment  was  terrible ;  not- 
withstanding the  respect  due  to  her  rank,  she  was  strangled  ; 
and  with  her  perished  her  lovers,  the  women  in  her  .ser- 
vice, and  more  than  two  thousand  persons  convicted  of 
complicity,  or  of  even  the  slightest  knowledge  of  her 
licentiousness.' 

This  is  not  the  only  e.xample  of  .severity  which  legend 
narrates  of  Nezahualpilli.  His  eldest  son  had  shown  re- 
markable talents  as  a  general.  He  was  the  favorite  of  the 
chief,  who  conferred  upon  him  the  title  of  Tlatccatl,  the 
greatest  honor  which  a  Tezcuan  could  receive.  One  day  he 
was  accused  of  having  spoken  too  freely  to  one  of  his  father's 
concubines.  The  chief  examined  the  guilty  persons,  and  the 
fact  being  proved,  he  did  not  hesitate  to  put  into  practice  a 
law  which  he  had  made  ;  he  condemned  his  son  to  death, 
and  caused  him  to  be  executed  in  spite  of  the  supplications 
of  his  courtiers.'  Another  of  his  sons  had  begun  the  build- 
ing of  a  palace,  without  having  obtained  authority  for  so 
doing,  or  having  distinguished  himself  in  war  by  any  of 
those  actions  which  alone  gave  the  right  to  possess  a  sep- 
arate palace  ;  the  chief  caused  him  also  to  be  executed. 
Some  years  afterward,  Tezozomoc,  father-in-law  of  Monte- 
zuma, was  accused  of  adultery  ;  the  judges,  out  of  regard  for 
his  rank,  had  only  condemned  him  to  banishment.     Neza- 

"  Torquemada,  vol.  I.,  p.  184.  IxtlilxochitI :  "Hist.  Chichemec,"  loc.  cil.y. 
pp.  265,  267,  271. 

'Torquemada:  "  Men.  Ind.,"  vol.  I.,  p.  165.  ^ 


m 


THE  PEOPLE  OF  CENTRAL  AMERICA. 


291 


hualpilli  ordered  him  to  be  strangled,  thereby  greatly  irritat- 
ing the  chiefs  who  were  his  allies. 

The  last  years  of  the  life  of  the  ruler  of  Tezcuco  were  sad. 
A  prophecy,  in  which  the  Tczcuans  placed  great  confidence, 
gave  out  that  the  god  Quetzacoatl  was  to  return  to  the 
earth,  in  the  same  form  as  at  his  first  appearance.  The  date, 
fixed  by  this  prophecy,  arrived,  and  coincided  with  the  dis- 
embarkation of  the  Spaniards.  The  superstitious  mind  of 
the  chief  was  singularly  impressed  by  this  fact.  From  that 
time  he  shut  himself  up  in  his  house,  occupied  himself  no 
more  with  public  affairs,  and  even  refused  to  receive  those 
to  whom  he  had  entrusted  the  management  of  affairs.  His 
death,  now  supposed  to  have  been  in  15 15,  was  long  un- 
known, and  a  legend  which  grew  up  round  his  name  has 
been  perpetuated  to  the  present  day ;  the  Tezcuans  im- 
agined that  death  could  not  touch  him,  and  that  he  had  re- 
tired to  Amaqucmecan,  the  land  of  his  ancestors.' 

The  death  of  Nezahualpilla,  and  the  quarrels  which  arose 
between  his  sons,  promoted  the  ambitious  schemes  of 
Montezuma.  He  was  for  a  short  time  undisputed  master  of 
Anahuac,  but  fortune  soon  abandoned  him  ;  he  knew  neither 
how  to  fight  the  Spanish,  to  treat  with  them,  or  to  ensure 
the  devotion  of  his  own  people.  The  empire  of  the  Aztecs 
was  doomed,  and  Anahuac,  like  the  whole  of  the  New 
World,  was  to  belong  to  other  races,  for  whom  by  unfathom- 
able decrees  the  future  of  America  was  reserved. 

So  far  as  we  can  judge  at  the  present  day,  religious  ideas 
were  met  with  amongst  all  the  American  races,  but  with  the 
most  striking  contrasts.  Some  tribes  had  not  got  beyond 
fetichism,  the  most  degraded  and  primitive  form  of  wor- 
ship. Idolatry,  which  prevailed  amongst  the  nations  of 
Central  America,  was  a  higher  form  ;  the  savage  adored  the 
waves  of  the  sea,  the  trees  of  the  forest,  the  waters  of  the 
spring,  the  stars  of  the  firmament,  the  stones  beneath  his 

'  Torquemada,  vol.  I.,  p.  216.  Ixtlilxochitl :  "  Hist.  Chic,"  pp.  282,  388, 
4  c  TezoEomoc,  Kingsborough,  vol.  IX.,  p.  178,  Fray  Diego  Duran  places 
his  death  in  1509,  "  Hist,  de  las  Indias  de  la  Nueva  Espafia,"  written  betweea 
1567  and  1581,  and  published  at  Mexico  by  D.  Ramirez  in  1867. 


«||i.'l>iM 


(♦  ' 


292 


PRK-IIISTOKIC  AMERICA. 


feet ;  he  invested  with  supernatural  power  the  first  object  to 
strike  his  eyes  or  impress  his  imagination.  The  idolater  is 
superior  to  the  fetich  worshipper  ;  he  adores  the  god  of  the 
sun,  of  the  sea,  of  the  forest,  of  the  spring  ;  he  often  clothes 
this  god,  before  whom  he  trembles,  with  a  human  form  (figs. 
1 14,  115,  1 16),  and  attributes  to  him  the  passions  of  his  own 
heart.  Monotheism,  from  a  purely  philosophical  point  of 
view,  is  a  great  advance.  It  has  been  said  that  the  Aztecs 
adored  an  invisible  god,  Teotl,  the  supreme  master,  but  this 


Fig.  116. — Idol  in  lerra-cotta. 

fact  is  disputed,  and  every  thing  goes  to  prove  on  the  contrary 
that  polytheism  existed  amongst  them,  and  a  very  inferior 
polytheism,  too,  to  that,  for  instance,  which  history  records 
among  the  Egyptians  or  the  Greeks.'  The  number  of  sec- 
ondary divinities  was  very  considerable ;  every  tribe,  every 
family,  every  profession  had  its  patrons,  and  thought  to  do 
honor  to  its  gods  by  severe  fasts,  prolonged  chastity,  baths- 
purifications,  and  often  also  cruel  mortifications. 

'  "  Their  mythology,  as  far  as  we  know  it,  presents  a  great  number  of  uncon- 
nected gods,  without  apparent  system  or  unity  of  design."  Gallatin,  "Am, 
Ant.  Sec.  Trans.,"  vol.  I.,  p.  352. 


>  (V.*   -■■•fc-r*.-* 


THE  PEOPLE   OF  CENTKAl.   AMERICA. 


293 


to 
is 
ic 

cs 
s. 
n 
)f 
:s 
is 


Before  celebrating  the  feast  of  the  god  Camaxtli,  for 
instance,  the  priests  were  bound  to  rigorously  abstain  from 
indulgence  for  a  period  of  a  hundred  and  sixty  days;  and 
during  that  time  they  pierced  their  t«)ngues  with  little 
pointed  sticks  having  about  the  diameter  of  a  quill. 

Among  all  the  tribes  of  the  Nahuatl  race  religious  holi- 
days were  frequent,  each  of  them  being  accompanied  by  hu- 
man sacrifices.  On  such  occasions,  in  accordance  with  a 
strictly  observed  rite,  infants  at  the  bi:ast  were  offered  to 
the  god  of  rain  ;  these  infants  were  sacrificed  on  high  moun- 
tains, or  thrown    into   the  lake  which   washes  the  city  of 


Fig.  117.- -Obsidian  knife  use('  by  the  sacrificing  priests  (Trocadero  Museum). 

Mexico.  In  the  following  month  sacrifices  no  less  bloody 
were  required  by  the  god  of  the  goldsmiths.  Hundreds  of 
miserable  captives  were  successiveh'  led  to  the  chief  priest  ; 
the  breast  was  cut  open  with  an  obsidian  knife  (figs.  117,  118); 
the  heart  was  torn  out  and  offered,  still  palpitating,  to  the 
idol.  At  other  festivals,  if  they  can  be  so  called,  the  skin  of 
the  unfortunate  sufferer  was  stripped  off  ;  gladiators  clothed 
themselves  in  it  for  mock  combats;  or  in  an  outbreak  of  zeal 
priests  prided  themselves  in  wearing  the  spoils  (figs.  1 19 
and  120)  until  the  skins  fell  into  rags.  "  They  smelt  like 
dead  dogs,"  adds  Sahagun,  from  whom  we  take  this 
detail. 


mi 


m<.. 


294 


PKE.HIHTORIC  AMKk'ICA. 


The  hideous  trophy  was  then  hung  up  in  the  temple 
of  Yapico,  or,  if  it  had  belonged  to  a  prisoner  taken  in  war, 
returned  to  the  offerer  of  the  victim.  The  rejoicings  in 
honor  of  MixcoatI,  the  god'  of  hunting  and  thunder,  were 
inaugurated  by  battues,  in  which  animals — such  as  deer, 
coyotes,  hares,  rabbits — fell  beneath  the  arrows  of  the 
devotees.     Then   came  the  inevitable  human  sacrifices ;   a 


Fig.  118.    -Sacrificial  collar  (Trocadero  Museum). 

great  fire  was  lighted,  into  which  the  men  threw  pipes  or 
vases  (fig.  121),  the  women  distaffs,  in  the  hope  that  the  god 
would  repay  their  offerings  with  interest  in  the  life  awaiting 
them  beyond  the  grave. ' 

'  Perhaps  we  should  say  the  goddess  ;  this  point  has  been  very  much 
disputed. 

*  Bancroft  (vol.  II.,  chap.  IX.,  and  vol.  III.,  pp.  355-412)  gives  a  very  exact 
account  of  these  celebrations,  to  which  we  refer  those  who  wish  to  know  more 
about  them. 


rut:   PEOPLE  OF  CESTRAI.  AMERICA. 


295 


On  the  day  consecrated  to  Xuihtccutii,  the  yod  of  fire,  the 
captives  were  carried  in  triumph,  on  the  shoulders  of  the 
pries  s,  to  the  platform  from  which  the  teocalli  ruse,  and 
then  flun^j  into  a  red-hot  furnace.  From  every  side  crowds 
gathered  to  gloat  over  the  agony  of  the  unfortunate  wretches ; 
and  dances,  rejoicings,  and  feasts  in  which  human  flesh  was 
the  chief  dainty,  ended  the  day.  The  most  delicate  morsels 
were  reserved  for  the  priests.     Part  of  the  body  was  given 


Fig.  ii(j. — Mexican  carving  representing  an  Aztec  priest  clothed  ii\  a  human 

skin. 

back  to  the  person  furnishing  tlie  victim.  Saiiagun  tells  us 
that  this  meat  was  cooked  with  hominy.  The  dish  was 
called  Ttacatlaotli,  and  the  master  of  the  slave  sacrificed  was 
not  allowed  to  eat  it,  for  the  slave  was  looked  upon  as  one 
of  the  family. 

At  Tlascala,  one  month  of  the  year  was  dedicated  to  sen- 
sual pleasures.  It  was  inaugurated  by  the  sacrifice  of  nu- 
merous virgins.  At  other  times,  a  young  man  and  a  young 
girl,  chosen  on  account  of  their  beauty,  were  maintained  for 


tf 


^;\ 


296 


PKE-HISTOlilC  AMERICA. 


a  whole  year  in  royal  luxurv>  and  then  led  to  the  sacrifice  as 
victims  acceptable  to  the  gods. 

Such  were  the  religious  rites  which  were  observed  every 
year.  There  were  also  extraordinary  rites,  on  the  occasion 
'  \  victory,  the  accession  of  a  ruler,  or  the  dedication  of  a 
temple.     The  last  event  was  frequent  in   Mexico,  and  also 


Fig.  120. — Vase  used  in  sacrifices,  the  liead   representing  that  of  a  priest  cov- 
ered with  human  skin.     From  the  Trocadero  Museum. 

the  occasion  for  a  sacrifice  of  hecatombs  of  victims.  If  the 
Aztecs  were  visited  by  a  defeat,  a  pestilential  malady,  a  fam- 
ine, or  an  earthquake,  the  people  eagerly  offered  fresh  sacri- 
fices to  appease  the  anger  of  the  gods.  The  dedication  by 
Ahuizotl  of  the  great  temple  of  Huitzilopochtli,'  in  1487, 

'Bancroft's  text  is  as  follows:     "Native  Races,"  vol.  III.,   p.   288,289. 
*'  Huitzilopochtli,  Huitziloputzli,  or  Vitziliputzili,  w,-.s  the  god  of  war,  and  the 


t^ntit 


Mta 


THE  PEOPLE   OF  CENTRAL  AMEKICA. 


297 


is  alleged  to  have  been  celebrated  by  the  butchery  of  72,344 
victims ; '  the  priests  were  wearied  with  striking,  and  had  to 
be  successively  replaced  ;  but  the  people  did  not  tire  of  the 
frightful  bjichcry  ;  they  responded  by  exclamations  of  joy 
to  the  groans  of  the  dying.'  Under  Montezuma  II.,  twelve 
thousand  captives  are  said  to  have  perished  at  the  inaugura- 
tion of  a  mysterious  stone,  brought  to  Mexico  at  great  ex- 
pense, and  destined  to  form  the  sacrificial  altar,'  but   fortu- 

especially  national  god  of  the  Mexicans.  Some  said  tiiat^  he  "was  a  purely 
spiritual  being,  others  tliat  a  woman  i\ad  borne  him  after  miraculous  conception. 
This  legend,  following  Clavigero,  ran  as  follows  :  In  the  ancient  city  of  Tul.i 
lived  a  most  devort  woman,  Coatlicrie  by  n.ime.  Walking  one  day  in  the  tem- 
ple, as  her  custom  was,  she  saw  a  little  ball  of  feathers  floating  down  from 
heaven,  which,  taking  without  thought,  she  put  into  her  bosom.  The  walk 
hp-'ng  ended,  however,  she  could  not  find  the  ball,  and  wondered  much,  all  the 
more  that  soon  after  this  she  fciund  iierself  pregnant.  She  had  already  many 
children,  who  now  lo  avert  this  dishonor  of  their  house,  conspired  to  kill  her  ; 
at  which  she  was  sorely  troubled.  lUit,  from  '.he  midst  of  her  womb  the  god 
spoke  :  '  Keai  nol,  O  my  mo.hci,  for  this  danger  will  I  turn  to  our  great  honor 
and  glory.'  And  lo,  lluitzilopochtii,  perfect  as  Pallas  Athena,  was  instantly 
born,  springing  up  with  a  mighty  war  shout,  grasping  the  shield  and  the  glitter- 
ing spear,  His  left  leg  and  his  head  were  adorned  wilh  plumes  of  green;  his 
face,  arms,  and  I'lighs  barred  terribly  with  lines 'of  blue.  lie  fell  upon  the  un- 
natural childien,  slew  them  all,  and  endowed  his  mother  with  their  spoils.  And 
from  that  day  forth  his  names  were  Tezahuitl,  Terror,  and  Tetzauhteotl,  Ter- 
rible God." 

'  Recent  researches  justify  us  in  believing  that  the  number  of  the  victims 
has  been  greatly  exaggerated  by  the  Spanish  historians.  Admitting  this  exagger- 
ation, which  seems  to  us  necessary,  it  is  probable  that  only  in  the  interior  of 
Africa  could  such  wliclesrle  slaughter  as  really  occurred  in  Mexico  be  paralleled. 

'  Torquemada,  vol.  I. .p.  iS6.     Vetancurt  :     "  Teatro  Mex.,"vol.  II.,  p.  37. 

'  Sacrificial  altars  may  be  classed  under  three  different  types  :  (l)  the 
Tehcatl,  generally  of  obsidian  or  serpentine,  and  of  convex  form,  so  that  the 
breast  of  the  victim  is  placed  in  such  a  position  as  to  facilitate  the  task  of  the 
sacrificing  priest.  "The  height  of  the  altar,"  s.ays  Duran  ("Hist,  de  las 
Yndias  de  Nueva  Espana  "),  reached  to  a  man's  waist,  and  its  length  might  be 
eight  feet.  (2)  the  Temalaia/l,  a  stone  of  cylindrical  form,  to  which  was  bound 
the  poor  wretch,  who  had  to  show  his  courage  by  defending  himself  from  his 
assailants  with  the  help  of  nothing  but  a  shield.  As  soon  as  an  arrow  struck 
him,  he  was  takt-n  to  the  Tehcatl  and  his  heart  at  once  plucked  out  by  the  sacri- 
ficing priest.  (3)  the  Ciiau/ixii,i!li,  a  concave  stone  with  a  basin  in  the  centre, 
in  which  the  blood  was  collected.  It  is  to  this  last  type  that  belongs  the  cele- 
brated stone  discovered  in  Mexico  in  1701.  "Ann.  del  Museo  Nacional," 
Mexico,  1877  and  1878. 


I 


iii-*, 


'! 


f    <  ( 


298 


PRE-IIISTORIC  AMERICA. 


nately  the  end  of  these  sacrifices  was  approaching;  in  15 18, 
when  Juan  de  Grijalvawas  disembarking  on  the  coast,  where 
Vera  Cruz  now  stands,  numerous  prisoners  were  being  immo- 
lated in  honor  of  the  dedication  of  the  Temple  of  Coatlan.' 
This  was  the  last  of  these  horrible  scenes ;  the  Spanish  con- 
querors at  once  abolished  them. 

In  addition  to  the  extraordinary  sacrifices  which  we  have 
described,  the  alleged  number  of  victims  who  perished  at 
the  annual  saturnalia  passes  all  belief.  Zi'marraga,  the  first 
bishop  of  Mexico,  in  a  letter  dated  June  12,  1531,  estimates 

it  at  no  less  than  twenty  thou- 
sand ;  and  Gomara "  brings  it 
up  even  to  fifty  thousand.  These 
numbers,  which  are  contradict- 
ed by  Las  Casas,  in  his  cele- 
brated treatise,'  are  without 
doubt  most  grossly  exaggerat- 
ed ;  but  certain  facts  remain  un- 
deniable, which  siiow  that  the 
y\/.tecs  had  remained  sanguinary 
and  barbarous  in  spite  of  their 
apparent  culture. 

The  hope  or  expectation  of 
a  life  beyond  the  tomb  exists 
Man,  however  degraded  he  is 
supposed  to  be,  shrinks  from  the  thought  of  complete  anni- 
hilation, and  aspires  to  a  happier  life  than  that  he  is  leading. 
Before  the  introduction  of  Christianity,  the  conception  of 
this  life  was  one  of  purely  material  happiness,  which  varied 
according  to  the  degroe  of  culture.  The  Greeks  dreamt  of 
purer  joys  in  Elysium  than  the  sensual  Mussulman  in  the 
arms  of  his  houris,  or  the  Scandinavian  Viking  in  the  midst 
of  perpetual  feasts.  With  the  savage  the  idea  of  a  future 
life  is  weak ;  his  notions  of  the  past  and  of  the  future  are  so 

'  Torquemada,  /.  c,  vol.  I.,  p.  i86.     Vetancurt,  /.  <•.,  vol,  II.,  p,  46.     Veytia: 
^'Hist.  Ant.  dc  Mejico,"  vol.  III.,  p.  476. 
'"  Hist.  Gen.  de  las  Indias."    Anvers,  1554. 
''"  Hist.  Apol,  de  las  Indias  Occidentales,"  Kingsborough,  vol.  VIII. 


F*IG.  121. — V.Tse  found  in  the  island 
of  Los  Saciificios. 

amongst  all  human  races. 


L 


THE  PEOPLE   OF  CENTRAL  AMERICA. 


299 


•confused  and  vague  that  it  is  difficult  to  make  out  his  real 
impressions. 

Of  one  thing  we  may  feel  certain,  that  in  America,  as 
among  the  nations  of  the  Old  World,  these  notions  varied  in 
different  tribes.  Some  of  those  of  the  Pacific  included  the 
idea  of  retribution  in  the  future  life ;  others  believed  that 
man  was  born  anew  from  his  ashes,  to  pass  again  through 
the  same  phases  which  he  had  already  traversed,  but  the 
remembrance  of  which  was  forever  effaced  from  his  mind. 
In  many  places  we  meet  with  the  idea  of  transmigration. 
The  Tlascallas  of  the  Nahuatl  race  were  convinced  that  the 
social  hierarchy  would  be  perpetuated  beyond  the  tomb,  the 
common  people  being  transformed  into  insects,  the  chiefs 
into  birds.  The  ideas  of  the  Aztecs  were  loftier ;  they  ad- 
mitted a  series  of  gradations  in  the  happiness  reserved  for 
men.  Warriors  slain  in  battle  were  immediately  to  inhabit 
the  house  of  the  sun  ;  more  obscure  folk  would  have  less 
brilliant  homes  in  the  various  stars  peopling  the  firmament. 
It  seems,  however,  that  this  was  but  a  transitional  state,  a 
limbo  where  the  dead  waited  before  arriving  at  their  final 
destination.  It  lasted  four  years,  and  throughout  that  time 
the  parents  and  friends  were  bound  to  offer  meat,  wines, 
flowers,  and  perfumes  to  the  dead,  and  to  do  honor  to  his 
memory  by  feasts  and  dances.'  These  rites  were  observed 
in  the  two  months  of  Tlaxocliimalco  and  XocotlJiucaiit.  The 
first  was  sacred  to  children,  the  second  to  chiefs  and  warriors 
killed  in  battle. 

The  same  ideas  are  met  with  in  all  tribes  of  Nahuatl 
origin,  and  are  naturally  reflected  in  the  ceremonies  observed 
in  obsequies.  Amongst  the  Aztecs,  when  a  chief  died,  the 
body  was  covered  with  mantles  richly  embroidered  and 
decked  with  precious  stones.  While  one  of  the  attendants 
was  dressing  the  body  others  were  cutting  up  bits  of  paper, 
taking  care  to  give  to  each  one  a  particular  form,  and  pla- 
cing them  on  the  body.  A  priest  poured  water  upon  the 
head  of  the  deceased,   repeating   the  words  sacred    to  the 

•'Bancroft,  /.  <■.,  vol,  II.,  page  618. 


I.       \ 


/  li 


,. 


1* 


iiii    ;  • 


300 


PRE.HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


funeral  rite';  after  which  he  presented  the  corpse  witit 
various  papers.  "  With  this,"  he  said  to  hirn,  "thou  wilt  be 
admitted  to  cross  the  defile  between  the  two  mountains ; 
with  this  other,  thou  wilt  avoid  the  great  serpent ;  with  this 
third,  thou  wilt  put  to  flight  the  alligator ;  with  this  fourth, 
thou  wilt  successfully  cross  the  eight  great  deserts  and  the 
eight  hills."  The  mantles  were  intended  to  protect  the 
dead  from  the  winds,  as  cutting  as  obsidian,  which  he  would 
meet  with  by  the  way.  A  little  red-haired  dog  was  then 
killed ;  a  leash  of  cotton  wiis  put  round  his  neck,  and  he 
was  buried  near  the  deceased.  This  little  dog  had  the  im- 
portant duty  of  guiding  his  master  and  helping  him  to 
cross  the  Chicunahttapiin,  or  nine  torrents;  it  is  not  difficult 
to  sec  in  this  an  allusion  to  the  nine  firmaments  in  which 
souls  were  to  sojourn  dui>ig  their  successive  migrations." 

Slaves  and  concubines  were  generally  immolated  at  the 
funeral  of  a  chief ;  their  duty  was  to  serve  him  during  the 
formidable  passage  from  one  firmament  to  another.  At  the 
obsccjuics  of  the  C'hichimec  rulers,  the  guardian  of  the  do- 
mestic idols  was  the  first  victim  sacrificed.  Amongst  the 
Miztecs,  wlio  inhabited  the  present  province  ot  Oajaca,  two 
male  slaves  and  three  women  were  sacrificed,  who  had  previ- 
ous!)' been  stupefieil  by  narcotic  drinks.  The  bodies  were 
deposited  in  the  heart  of  a  forest,  and,  when  possible,  in  the 
recesses  of  a  cave. 

Burgoa,  writing  two  centuries  ago,'  speaks  of  having  seen 
several  of  these  burying-places.  Numerous  skeletons  cov- 
ered with  trinkets,  and  gold  or  silver  ornaments,  lay  in 
niches  hewn  out  of  the  walls  of  the  cave.  Here  and  there 
smaller  niches  were  reserved  to  the  guardian  gods  of  the 
dead,  and  their  statues  were  still  in  existence  at  the  time  of 
the  explorations  of  Burgoa.  Quite  recently,  in  the  RioNayas 
vally,  in   the   province  of  Durango,  a  cave  of  considerable 

'Brasseurde  Bourbourg,  "  Hist,  des  Nat.  Civilisces,"  vol.  III.,  p.  569. 

'Torquemada;  "  Mon.  Ind.,"  vol.  II.,  p.  527.  Clavigero  :  "  St.  Ant.  del 
Messico,"  Vol.  II.,  p.  94. 

'  "  Geografica  descripcion  de  la  parte  septentrionnale  del  Polo  Artico  de  la. 
America."     Oajaca,  .Mexico,  1674,  2  voh. 


THE  PEOPLE   OF  CENTRAL   AMERICA. 


301 


extent,  has  been  discovered  in  which  thousands  of  mummies, 
not  rescmbUng  the  Indians  of  the  present  day,  slept  their 
last  sleep.  Each  mummy  was  covered  with  a  mantle  of 
richly-dyed  agave  leaves.  The  bodies  were  in  a  remarkable 
state  of  preservation ;  the  flesh  was  unshrivelled,  and  the 
hair  was  silky.  No  metal  object  was  discovered  in  the  re- 
searches made  which  is  the  only  indication  we  have  of  the 
antiquity  of  this  sepulchre." 

In  other  cases  costly  monuments  were  dedicated  to  the 
dead.  It  was  thus  with  the  great  pyramid  of  Mexico,  de- 
stroyed by  the  Spaniards,  which  was  said  to  have  been 
erected  to  receive  the  bodies  of  the  chiefs.  What  is  more 
certain  is,  that  the  Conquistadores  found  treasures  in  it. 

For  the  common  people  the  funeral  ceremonies  were 
necessarily  more  simple ;  the  rite  was,  however,  always 
faithfully  followed.  The  body,  washed  three  times  with 
aromatic  waters,  was  successively  dressed  in  ordinary  clothes, 
bright  red  clothes  and  feathers,  and  black  clothes  and  feath- 
ers. A  stone  {tentcll\  of  which  we  do  not  know  the  mean- 
ing, was  placed  between  the  lips  of  the  deed.  Papers,  regu- 
lar passports  for  the  other  life,  were  placed  by  him  with 
liturgical  words.  By  his  side  was  deposited  a  jar  filled  with 
water,  a  dog — a  companion  indispensable  to  the  safety  of 
the  journey, — the  weapons  or  implements  used  in  life ;  a 
hatchet  for  a  soldier,  a  spade  for  a  laborer,  a  spindle  or  a 
broom  for  a  woman.  The  corpse  was  then  covered  with  a 
mantle  symbolical  of  the  patron  of  the  commune  to  which 
the  deceased  had  belonged,  or  even,  if  we  can  trust  the 
Spanish  writers,  of  the  god  of  the  vices  the  deceased  had  in- 
dulged in  during  life,  or  of  the  mode  of  the  death  which  he 
had  met.''  Thus  the  soldier  was  dressed  in  the  mantle  ap- 
propriate to  the  god  of  war ;  the  merchant  in  that  of  the 
god  of  commerce  ;  the  drunkard  in  that  of  the  god  of  wine  ; 

' "  Proc.  Anthr.  Soc.  of  Washington,"  1879-1880. 

"  Gomara  :  "  Hist.  Ant.  de  Mexico,"  fol.  309.  "  Vestivano  lo  d'un  abilo 
corrispondente  alia  sua  condizione,  alle  sue  facolta  ed  alle  circonstanze  della 
sua  morte,"  Clavigero,  loc.  cit.,  vol.  II.,  p.  39. 


I  I 

I  : 


\^i^ 


1 1 


i  a 


ll' 


302 


PRE-HISTOKIC  AMERICA. 


•■'WK 


the  drowned,  in  that  of  the  presiding  gods  of  the  flood  ;  the 
adulterer,  in  the  mantle  consecrated  to  the  god  of  sensual 
pleasures, — and  when  all  was  thus  prepared,  the  parents  and 
friends  brought  their  offerings.  These  offerings  consisted 
of  flowers,  food,  clothing,  or  implements,  which  had  to  be 
renewed  several  days  in  succession.  The  dominant  idea  of 
these  rites  was  the  desire  of  assuring  to  the  deceased  an  ex- 
istence resembling  that  which  he  had  had  on  earth.  He 
was  finally  borne  to  his  last  resting-place,  a  cave,  or  to  a  yet 
more  simple  grave  dug  in  the  ground. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  give  even  a  rapid  summary  of  the 
funeral  customs  observed  in  regions  of  so  vast  an  extent ; 
these  customs  varied  in  every  nation,  in  every  tribe.  Some 
of  the  Chichimecs,  after  burying  their  dead,  gave  themselves 
up  to  dances  and  feasts,  which  often  lasted  many  days.' 
Near  Tabasco,  Grijalva  discovered  the  skeletons  of  a  young 
boy  and  a  young  girl,  wrapped  in  cotton  cloths  and  covered 
with  trinkets.  These  bodies  had  merely  been  laid  in  the 
sand  of  the  shore."  At  Yucatan  the  dead  were  embalmed, 
the  priests  taking  out  the  entrails,  and  placing  them  in  large 
amphora.^,  ornamented  sometimes  with  human  and  some- 
times with  animals'  heads.  In  Coazacoalco,  to  give  only  one 
example,  bones  stripped  of  their  flesh  were  put  in  a  basket 
and  placed  on  the  top  of  a  tree  near  the  former  home  of  the 
deceased,  doubtless  so  that  he  might  be  able  to  find  these 
bones  more  easily  in  his  successive  migrations.' 

Cremation  dates  from  the  time  of  the  ancient  nomad 
tribes,  who  could  by  this  means  more  easily  carry  about  the 
remains  of  their  ancestors.  The  custom  lasted  for  many 
centuries,  and,  at  the  arrival  of  the  Conquistadores,  it  was 
still  in  certain  places  an  honor  rendered  to  chiefs  and  men  of 
note.  Brasseur  de  Bourbourg,  says  that  cremation  was  in 
use  among  the  Toltecs  ;  Torquemada  and  Clavigero  says  the 
samp  of  the  Chichimecs  ;  and  Veytia,  in  his  "  Historia  An- 

'  Sahapun  :  "  Hist.  gen.  de  las  cosas  de  Nueva  Espafio,"  vol.  III.,  book  X.„ 

'  •".hronica  de  la  Orden  deN.  P.  S.  Aug."  Mexico,  1624. 
H'l-rera,  loc.  cit.,  decade  IV.,  book  IX,,  chap.  VII. 


"»vv»< 


THE  PEOPLE   OF  CENTRAL  AMERICA. 


303. 


tigua  do  Mejico,"  says  that  the   bodies  of  the   first  Aztec 
kings  were  burned. 

The  Spanish  historians  have  preserved  an  account  of  the 
so-called  royal  funerals.'  The  body,  covered  with  sumptuous 
garments,  was  seated  on  a  lofty  throne,  and  the  chief  nota- 
bles came  in  turn  to  pay  their  respects,  as  they  had  done 
when  he  was  still  alive.  They  dwelt  upon  his  virtues,  upon 
the  grief  his  death  caused  the  people,  and  they  prayed  him 
to  accept  the  customary  presents.  Each  notable  was  bound 
to  offer  ten  slaves,  and  a  hundred  mantles  of  magnificence 
corresponding  to  his  standing;  the  common  people  then 
advanced,  bringing  less  costly  offerings  ;  lastly  came  the  turn 
of  the  women,  and  while  they  were  presenting  to  the  defunct 
the  food  he  had  preferred,  his  oldest  followers  intoned  the 
Miccacuicatl,  or  funeral  chant.  This  was  the  signal  for  hu- 
man sacrifices,  the  necessary  accompaniment  of  the  cere- 
mony. On  the  fifth  day  after  death,  a  procession  was 
formed  to  go  to  the  teocalli.  The  cortege  was  preceded  by 
a  large  banner,  on  which  were  painted  the  chief  facts  of  the 
life  of  the  deceased  ;  then  came  the  priests  with  censers,  and 
the  servants  carrying  the  body,  stretched  upon  a  litter.  All 
around  walked  the  lesser  chiefs,  wearing  dull-colored  man- 
tles, trailing  upon  the  ground  and  covered  with  paintings 
and  embroidery  representing  heads  or  the  bones  of  the  dead. 
The  messengers  of  the  chiefs  of  the  adjacent  country  car- 
ried the  arms,  the  insignia,  and  ornaments  for  the  funeral 
pyre.  The  slaves  of  the  king  were  loaded  with  clothes  and 
other  objects  intended  for  the  use  of  the  dead,  together  with 
his  favorite  food.  On  its  arrival  at  the  temple,  some  priests, 
called  Coacuilcs  received  the  body.  Their  songs  reminded 
the  assistants  that  they,  too,  would  soon  be  motionless 
corpses,  flung  upon  the  funeral  pile,  and  that  the 
only  testimony  in  their  favor  would  be  their  good  ac- 
tions.     The  functions  of  these  Coacuiles  were  considered 


;  \ 


'  J.  lie  Acosta  :  "  Hist.  Natural  y  Moral  de  las  Yndias,"  Sevilla,  1590,  p. 
321,  et  seq.  Herrera,  loc.  cit,  decade  III.,  book  II.,  chap.  XVIII.;  Ixtlilxo- 
chitl :  "  Relaciones  ;  "  Kingsborough,  vol.  IX.,  p.  370. 


304 


PRE.HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


SO  important  that  they  had  to  prepare  themselves  for  them 
by  rigorous  fasts.  According  to  some  accounts  they  wore 
on  these  occasions  a  costume  similar  to  that  of  the  deceased. 
Other  accounts,  on  the  contrary,  speak  jf  these  Coacuiles 
as  disguised  as  demons,  wearing  robes  covered  with  hideous 
heads,  the  eyes  of  which  were  represented  by  little  bits 
of  mica;  others  again  say  the  priests  were  naked,  with 
the  body  painted  black,  waving  in  their  hands  sticks  which 
they  were  to  use  to  stir  up  the  fire.  The  pile  was  three  feet 
high,  the  corpse  was  laid  upon  it,  and  when  the  flames  began 
to  ri.se  it  was  the  duty  of  the  assistants  to  throw  into 
the  midst  of  it  the  objects  they  carried,  after  which  fresh 
sacrifices  began. 

In  the  earliest  times  only  a  few  victims  were  offered  up; 
but  as  the  pomp  of  funerals  increased  with  the  luxury  and 
wealth  of  the  country  their  numbers  increased.  For  in- 
stance, in  honor  of  Nezahualpilli  the  throats  of  two  hundred 
men  and  a  hundred  women  were  successively  cut.  Some- 
times, before  his  death  a  chief  pointed  out  those  of  his 
concubines  who  were  to  follow  him.  In  Michoacan  seven 
women  of  good  family  were  offered  up  at  the  death  of  the 
chief.  One  was  charged  with  the  care  of  the  sacred  emerald 
labrct  that  the  chief  wore  hung  from  his  lower  lip  ;  another 
with  that  of  his  trinkets;  a  third  was  his  cup-bearer.  All 
were  destined  to  serve  him,  and  to  prepare  for  him  food 
suitable  to  the  rank  which  he  was  to  retain  in  his  new  life. 
Those  who  could  be  most  useful  to  the  deceased  were  also 
chosen  from  among  his  slaves  ;  but  instead  of  their  breasts 
being  opened  and  their  hearts  torn  out,  as  was  the 
custom  amongst  the  Aztecs,  those  who  offered  the  victims 
were  contented  with  a  more  ordinary  death.  The  slaves 
were  simply  clubbed  to  death.  When  the  victims  of  a 
higher  sort  were  ranged  around  the  pile,  one  of  the  relatives 
of  the  chief  addressed  them  at  length,  thanking  them  for  the 
services  rendered  the  deceased,  and  urging  them  to  serve 
him  with  the  same  fidelity  in  the  new  world  that  they  were 
both  to  enter.     Then  the  unhappy  wretches  were  seized  one 


"Iwiliil  '      -' 


'••iSS^SSkit. 


THE  PEOPLE   OE   CENTRA  I.   AMERICA. 


305 


• 


f- 


by  one  by  the  priests  and  stretched  upon  the  sacred  stone ; 
the  heart  was  torn  out  and  flung  upon  the  pile,  and  the 
corpse  was  hurriedly  carried  away. ' 

When  the  body  of  the  chief  was  completely  consumed 
the  fire  was  put  out  with  the  blood  of  the  victims  reserved 
for  that  purpose.  The  ashes,  calcined  bones,  and  fragments 
of  ornaments  were  collected  and  placed  in  an  urn  (fig.  122) 
surmounted  by  an  effigy  of  the  deceased,  and  this  urn  was 
placed,  either  at  the  foot  of  the  god  to  whom  the  mourners 
wished  to  do  special  honor,  or  at  those  of  the  divinity 
who  had  been  the  protector  of  the  deceased. 


Fig.   122. — Aztec  mortuary  vase. 

At  the  end  of  the  ceremony  the  assistants  took  part  in 
a  great  banquet ;  they  were  bound  to  return  daily  for  four 
days  to  the  teocalli  and  to  renew  their  offerings.  On 
the  fourth  day  a  last  sacrifice  of  fifteen  or  twenty  miserable 
slaves  concluded  the  affair.  With  the  Chichimecs  it  was 
kept  up  longer,  and  the  sacrifices  and  offerings  had  to  be  re- 
newed through  twenty-four  days. 

The  various  races  which  occupied  Central  America  had 
some  knowledge  of  astronomy.  They  were  acquainted  with 
divisions  of  time  founded  on  the  motion  of  the  sun,  and 
long  before  the  conquest  they  possessed  a  regular  system." 

'Gomara,  who  wrote  in  the  sixteenth  century,  says  that  the  victim  was 
buried  ;  other  historians,  that  the  body  wa-  burned  on  a  neighboring  pile. 

'  Ixtlilxochitl  ("  Relacioncs,"  /.  c,  p.  322),  following  in  the  trail  of  his  priestly 
instructors,  says  that  in  the  year  5097  from  the  creation  a  meeting  of  astronomers 


tl 


*l 


3o6 


PKK.IIISTOKIC  AMERICA. 


Amongst  the  Aztecs  it  included  periods  of  forty-two  years 
divided  into  cycles  of  thirteen  years,  expressed  in  their  pic- 
tographs  by  hieroglyphic  signs.  The  year  consisted  of 
eighteen  months,  of  twenty  days  each,  and  five  sii[)plement- 
ary  days,  which  were  looked  upon  as  of  ill  omen,  and  during 
which  no  Aztec  would  do  any  action  of  importance.  Lastly, 
the  days  were  divided  into  divisions  analogous  to  our  hours. 
The  calculations  of  their  astronomers  early  proved  that  the 
year  of  365  days  did  not  correspond  exactly  with  the  solar 
motion  ;  so  that,  many  years  before  the  (iregorian  reform 
was  accepted  in  Europe,  they  had  added  thirteen  days  to 
each  cycle  of  fiftj-two  )'ears.  In  1790,  excavations  made  at 
the  Great  Plaza  of  the  City  of  Mexico,  on  the  supposed  site 
of  the  great  Teocalli  destroyed  by  the  Spainaids,  brought 
to  light  a  block  of  porphyry  weighing  not  less  than  twenty- 
three  tons.  On  this  block  was  engraved  a  circle  a  little  more 
than  eleven  feet  in  diameter,  containing  the  divisions  of  the 
astronomical  cycle  of  the  Aztecs.'  Together  with  the  solar 
year,  the  Mexicans  kept  the  lunar  year,  which  appears  to 
have  been  used  only  for  religious  holidays.  This  year  was 
divided  into  periods  of  thirteen  days,  corresponding  with  the 
phases  of  the  moon.  ^ 

Amongst  the  Alayas "  and  the  Toltecs,  as  amongst  the 
people  of  Central  America,  the  months  also  consisted  of 
twenty  days  ;  and  with  them  all  the  number  twenty  (fingers 
and  toes)  appears  to  have  been  the  base  of  their  system  of 
numeration. 


took  place  at  IIuhliue-Tlapallan,  and  it  was  they  who  fixed  the  divisions  of 
lime  which  lasted  until  the  conquest.  Professor  Valentin!,  "  The  Katunes  of 
Maya  History,"  places  this  ch.nnge  in  the  divisions  of  time  in  the  year  29  B.  C. 
Both  of  these  estimates  are,  perhaps  it  is  needless  to  say,  more  or  less  hypo- 
thetical. 

'It  has  been  reproduced  by  Charnay,  plate  I.,  and  Short  ("  North  Ameri- 
cans," p.  409)  copies  it  from  him. 

'  Bancrofi,  vol.  III.,  p.  502,  755,  et  seq.  Bandelier  ;  "  On  the  Special  Organi- 
zation and  Mode  of  Government  of  the  Ancient  Mexicans,"  "  Report,  Peabody 
Museum,"  vol.  II.,  p.  475,  557,  et  seq. 

•  The  Maya  calendar  has  recently  been  the  subject  of  exhaustive  research  by 
Prof.  Cyrus  Thomas,  of  the  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  to  whose  publications. 
the  reader  is  referred  for  all  details  of  this  branch  of  the  subject. 


;   ) 


''■'*^    ■?l»»-T»fcZlr.j 


THE   rr.OPI.E   OF  CEXTKAl.  AMERICA. 


ZO7 


; 


The  chief  weapon  of  the  Aztecs  was  the  javelin  {t/acochtli), 
a  short  lance  of  hard  wood,  the  end  of  wliich  was  provided 
with  a  point  of  flint,  obsidian,  or,  more  rarely,  of  copper. 
This  point  was  fixed  in  a  slit  in  the  wood,  and  kejjt  it  in  its 
place  by  lashinj^s  cemented  with  resin.  Each  warrior  also 
carried  darts  which  he  fluni;  from  a  distance,  a  bow 
{tlanitolli)^  often  more  than  five  feet  lon^,  and  slinks.  The 
viaciiahnitl  (from  macua,  hand,  and  cua/itiit/,  wootl)  was  a 
wooden  sword,  of  similar  form  to  the  two-handed  sword 
{i-spadds  de  dos  manas)  of  the  Conquistadors.  The  Spanish 
also  tell  us  that  on  the  edj^cs  of  this  sword  were  inserted 
fragments  of  obsidian  as  keen  as  the  blades  of  T(jledo.  The 
blow;;  of  this  weapon,'  used  by  the  Aztecs  as  a  club,  were 
formidable;  but  the  obsidian  broke  at  the  first  shock, 
and  then  the  macuahuitl  became  useless.  The  shield,  which 
must  not  be  confused  with  that  carried  by  the  chiefs  in 
dances  and  processions,  was  small,  round,  and  wadded  with 
cotton."  The  braves,'  such  was  the  title  of  the  chief  warriors, 
fastened  it  to  the  left  arm.  As  will  be  seen,  these  weapons 
scarcely  differ  from  those  of  the  other  Nahuas,  which  we 
have  already  described. 

In  some  places,  the  defensive  works  were  important.  The 
way  the  Me.xicans  made  fortifications  was  to  choose  a 
naturally  strong  position,  such  as  a  hill  difficult  of  access, 
artificially  widenin<^,  if  necessary,  the  summit  with  earth 
carried  up  to  it,  and  by  surrounding  the  whole  either  by 
stone  walls  or  palisades,  essentially  in  the  manner  of  the 
Mound  Builders  and  Indians.  The  height  of  these  walls, 
with  that  of  the  eminence  itself,  were  the  chief  obstacles  en- 
countered by  the  enemy.  The  Aztec  method  resembled 
that  of  the  Mound  Builders,  which  is  yet  another  indication 

'  Clavigero,  /.  c,  book  VII.,  cha]>.  XXIII. 

'  "  Kl  Conquistador  Anonimo."  Collection  of  Unpublished  Documents, 
vol.  I.,  p.  375. 

'  "  Raccolta  di  Mendoza,"  Kingsborough  Collection. 

*  The  title,  or  rather  the  rank,  of  brave  was  obtained  by  some  dazzling  action. 
The  braves,  as  amongst  the  Indians  of  the  present  day,  took  the  characteristic 
names  oi  Jlesh-eatcrs,  f;reat  eagles,  winged  arrows,  and  such  like. 


t  (1 


:i 


308 


PKE'HISTOKIC  AMEKJCA. 


of   a   connection    that    may   have   existed   between  them.' 

The  costume  of  the  Mexicans  consisted  of  a  sleeveless 
tunic  {ntupi/)y  fastened  to  the  right  slioulder,  and  of  a  sasii 
{»iaxt/a(l)  of  gaudy  colors.  The  head,  the  arms,  and  the 
legs  were  left  naked.  The  chiefs  also  wore  a  mantle,  the 
length  of  which  indicated  their  rank.  This  mantle  was 
ornamented  w-ith  feathers,  the  color  of  which  varied  accord- 
ing to  the  tribe  to  which  the  wearer  belonged.  Clavigero* 
relates  that  the  soldiers  only  wore  the  maxtlatl,  and  that 
before  going  to  war  they  painted  their  bodies,  and  especially 
the  face,  black.  y\lvarado,  on  the  contrar)',  in  a  letter  ad- 
dressed to  Cortes,'  says  that  the  Guatemalians  dressed  in 
garments  padded  with  cotton,  which  came  down  to  the  ankles. 
The  shoes  {cactlUofaras)  resemljled  the  Indian  moccasins. 
They  are  reproduced  on  some  of  the  bas-reliefs  of  Palenquc. 

As  head-dresses,  the  warriors  wore  imitations  in  wood  of 
the  heads  of  the  tiger,  wolf,  and  serpent,  covered  with  the 
actual  skin  of  tlie  animal.  The  reward  of  valor  in  war  was 
the  right  of  wearing,  above  the  ears,  one  or  more  partings 
in  the  hair.  The  character  of  these  head-dresses  and  marks 
of  honor  have  been  preserved  to  our  day  by  pictography. 

In  Mexico  the  chiefs  were  called  'J'lachcautiii,  or  elder 
brothers.  It  was  their  duty  not  onh'  to  lead  their  soldiers 
to  battle,  but  to  teach  them  in  time  of  peace  their  military 
duties,  especially  how  to  handle  their  weapons.  The  chiefs- 
wore,  as  insignia  of  their  rank,  ear-plugs  like  those  of  the 
Mound  Builders,  and  labrets,*  as  may  be  seen  in  the  repre- 
sentations of  them  at  Palenque  and  Copan. 

The  Aztec  government  is  constantly  represented  as  an 
hereditary  chieftainship,  strongly  ,r.Tanized  and  supported 
by  subsidiary  chiefs,  also  her'diuir>.  The  first  hints  on 
this  subject  come  from  Cortes  hiinsf;if  {Carta  scgiinda,  pp. 
12  and  13). 


'  Tezozomoc,  /.  f.,  chap.  XC,  p.  158-9 
''  L.  c,  book  VIII.,  chap.  X.XIII. 

'  A  letter  of  the  28th  July,  1524,  reproduced  by  Veytia 
Mejico,"  vol.  I. 
*Duran,  /.  c,  chap.  XIX.,  p.  i6g.     Sahagun,  book  IX.,  chap.  VI.,  p.  264 


Duran,  /.  c,  chap.  LVI.,  p.  443. 
'  Hist.  Ant.  de 


I  . 


(1 


'*'>^:,«ihHWB=::; 


Tin-.    PF.OPl.E  OF  CF.NTKAl.   AMERICA. 


309 


. 


:' 


"  In  the  town  of  Mexico,"  he  writes,  "are  .1  considerable 
number  of  larj^e  and  beautiful  houses,  which  arc  the  resi- 
dences of  all  the  lords  of  the  country,  vassals  of  Monte- 
zuma." The  almost  unanimous  accounts  of  Spanish  writer^, 
unconsciously  colored,  perhaps,  by  the  impressions  or  preju- 
dices of  their  country,  combined  to  establish  this  account. 
Later  researches,  however,  on  the  contrars',  justify  us  in  sup- 
posing that  the  goverimient  was  very  democratic,  anil  that 
appointments  WL-re  given  by  election.' 

Tlaca-Ticulitli,  the  chief  of  men,  the  wise  veteran,  such 
were  the  titles  he  bore,  was  elected  for  life.  It  is  fair  to 
add,  however,  that  this  king  was  almost  always  chosen  from 
the  saine  family.  Among  the  Tezcuans  this  office  passed 
from  father  to  son  ;  among  the  A/.tecs,  from  brother  to 
brother,  from  uncle  to  nephew,  but  the  hereditary  right,  if 
indeed  it  existed,  had  to  be  confirmed  by  election."  The 
supreme  chief  could  be  deposed  ;  and  it  was  thus  that  Mon- 
tezuma was  degraded,  and  replaced  by  his  brother,  C'uitla- 
huatrin." 

Another  chief,  also  elective,  bore  ihe  grotes(iue  title  of 
Chi/tiia-Co/tHiUi,  the  "  female  serpent."  *  Me  sat  beside  the 
ruler,  and  it  was  his  duty  to  preside  at  the  administration  of 

'  n.TiKlflier,  /.  c,  "  Report  of  Peabody  Museum,"  vol.  II.,  pp.  95,  475,  557, 
600. 

'The  titles  of  king,  nobles,  court,  lords,  palaces,  etc,  are  misleading  as  ap- 
plied to  the  chiefs  of  any  .American  races.  Nothing  resembling  monarchy  in 
the  civilized  .sense  has  ever  existed  among  our  aborigines.  I5ut  this  was  not  re- 
alized by  tl)e  Spaniards,  who  saw,  without  understanding,  the  organization  of 
Mexican  society,  and  applied  to  it  terms  with  which  they  were  familiar,  no  mat- 
ter how  unsuitable  in  reality. 

'Cortes  ("Carta  segunda  ")  makes,  it  is  true,  no  allusion  to  it  ;  but  Berna! 
Diaz  de  Castillo  ("  Hist,  verdailera  do  la  Conquisla  de  la  Nueva  Kspana," 
chap.  XXVI.,  p.  132),  Las  Casas  ("  Brevissima  Kelacion,"  p.  49),  Sahagun  (book 
XII.,  chap.  XXI.,  p.  28),  Torquemada  (book  IV.,  chap.  LXVIII.,  p.  494),  and 
Herrera  (decade  II.,  book  X.,  chap.  VIII.,  p.  264),  are  unanimous  on  this 
point. 

*  This  dignity  does  not  appear  to  have  existed  until  after  the  .alliance  between 
Mexico,  Tezcuco,  and  Tlacolpan.  Duran,  chap.  XXIV.,  p.  205  ;  Tezozomoc. 
"Chronica,"  chap.  XXIX.,  p.  35;  Ixtlilxochiil :  "  Relanlones ";  Kingsbor- 
ough,  vol.  IX. 


•i/i 


.5  • 


I 


jio 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


'     ': 


W-  li; 


justice  and  the  receipt  of  tribute.  According  to  some,  he 
could  never  go  to  war ;  according  to  otlicrs,  he  commanded 
the  Mexicans,  while  the  Tlaca-Tecuhtli  led  the  allies.  The 
Chihua-Cohuatl  alone  had  the  right  of  wearing  a  tuft  of 
green  feathers  on  his  head,  gold  rings  in  his  ears  and  in  his 
lips,  an  emerald  hanging  from  the  cartilage  of  the  nose,  gold 
bracelets,  and  anklets  of  rare  feathers.  On  his  war  costume 
he  also  wore  a  large  tress  of  feathers,  which  hung  down  to 
the  waist ;  and  on  such  occasions  used  a  little  drum  to  give 
his  orders.' 

The  aim  of  war  was  often  merely  to  secure  prisoners 
necessary  for  sacrifices.  When  it  was  resolved  upon,  the 
Mexicans  sent  ambassadors  to  the  pueblo  against  which  they 
had  a  complaint,  the  ambassadors  carrying,  as  tokens  of 
their  mission,  an  arrow  with  the  point  downward  and  a 
shield  fastened  to  the  left  arm.'  Arrived  at  the  council, 
they  stated  their  demands ;  if  the  chiefs  of  the  pueblo  agreed 
to  them,  the  envoys  accepted  the  present  offered  to  them  ; 
if  on  the  contrary  their  demands  were  rejected,  they 
approached  the  chief  of  the  tribe,  painted  his  arms  white, 
placed  feathers  on  his  head,  and  offered  him  a  sword  and  a 
shield.  This  was  the  accepted  form  of  a  declaration  of  war, 
and  when  it  was  made  the  ambassadors  had  to  beat  a  hasty 
retreat,  or  their  lives  were  in  the  greatest  danger.' 

In  truth  neither  the  Aztecs  nor  the  other  Nahuas  formed 
a  state,  a  nation,  or  even  a  political  society.  They  were 
simply  a  confederation  of  tribes,  these  tribes  themselves  con- 
sisting of  an  agglomeration  of  clans  or  Calpulli.^  This  organi- 
zation presents  certain  resemblances  with  that  which  existed 
in  the  north  of  Scotland  and  Ireland.  All  the  members  of 
the  clan,  connected  by  a  real  or  supposed  relationship  to  a 
commo; .    ncestor  and  bearing  the  same  name,  had  a  collec- 


'  Duran,   /.  <■.,  chap.   XIV.   and  XVI.     J.  de  Acosta,  /.  r,,  chap.  XXV.,  p. 
441. 

'  Torquemada,  /.  c,  book  XIV.,  chap.  I.,  p.  534. 

•  IxthlxochitI  :   "  Hist,  Chic. ,"  chap.   XXXVIII.    G.  de  Mendieta  :   "Hist. 
Keel.  Indiana,"  Mexico,  1S70,  book  II.,  chap.  XXVI.,  p.  129. 

*  Bandelier,  /.  c,  p.  557,  etc. 


I 


THE  PEOPLE   OF  CENTkAL  AMERICA. 


311 


tive  right  in  the  lands  of  the  tribe,  which  they  enjoyed,  pay- 
ing an  annual  rent  to  the  chief. 

The  Calpulli,  true  farrilies,  doubtless  united  by  a  close 
blood-relationship,  were  responsible  for  the  acts  and  the  con- 
duct of  their  members.  These  members  were  bound  mutu- 
ally to  defend  each  other,  to  avenge  injuries  done  to  any 
one  of  them,  and  to  support  the  old,  the  infirm,  and  all 
those  incapable  of  taking  part  in  the  common  work. 

There  was  no  such  thing  as  private  property,  at  least  with 
regard  to  land.  The  lands,  which  were  called  Calpulalli, 
belonged  to  the  Calpulli,  who  could  neither  sell  nor  exchange 
them.  They  were  divided  at  fi.xed  periods  between  all  the 
males  of  the  tribe,  with  the  obligation  of  cultivating  them 
and  of  residing  within  the  limits  of  the  Calpulli.  Some 
lands  {tlatnilli)  were  reserved  to  the  chiefs,  but  neither  these 
chiefs  nor  their  families  had  any  permanent  rights  in  them, 
and  when  they  gave  up  ofifice  the  lands  were  reabsorbed  in 
the  public  domain.  Other  lands  {tlatocatlalli)  were  set  aside 
for  the  tribute  that  every  Calpulli  had  to  pay  to  the  ruler  of 
Mexico.  They  were  cultivated  by  all  the  members  of  the 
family,  and  the  crops  were  taken  to  private  storehouses. 
But  for  the  necessity  of  making  this  annual  payment,  the 
tribes  and  Calpulli  appear  to  have  been  completely  indepen- 
dent ;  their  chiefs  were  elected  for  life,  and  no  one  could 
interfere  with  thejr  choice,  which  almost  always  f^ll  upon 
old  men  who  had  submitted,  or  would  have  to  submit,  to  a 
very  severe  religious  initiation,  which  we  are  about  to 
describe.  As  will  be  seen,  this  collection  of  institutions 
shows  no  trace  of  feudalism.' 

Descent  was  through  the  female  line,  and  the  family  was 
constituted  by  the  maternal  alliances  alone.  It  was  not 
until  later  that  paternal  descent  was  admitted.  Marriage 
existed  ;  but  marriage  was  forbidden  between  near  relations, 
and  probably  between  members  of  the  same  Calpulli.  The 
position  of  women  was  hard  ;  they  became  in  most  respects 

'  Orozeo  y  Berra  :  "  Geographia  de  las  lenguas  y  carta  ethnografica  de 
Mexico." 


1 
J 


;'-i 


m 


312 


PRE.HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


the  property  of  their  husbands.  A  marriage  could,  however, 
be  annulled,  on  the  request  of  the  woman,  provided  that 
this  annulment  had  the  approbation  of  the  Calpulli,  and 
in  that  case  the  woman  returned  to  her  own  family.  Every 
man  was  bound  to  marry  when  he  came  to  the  age  of  twent\- 
years,  with  the  exception  of  certain  priests,  who  took  a  vow 
of  chastity  in  honor  of  the  gods  they  served.  Polygamy 
was  not  forbidden  ;  the  husband,  or  rather  the  master,  had  a 
right  to  as  many  concubines  as  he  wished ;  the  necessity 
of  supporting  them  was  the  only  curb  upon  his  passion. 

Patronymic  names  were  unknown.'  On  the  birth  of  her 
child  the  mother  chose  the  name  she  wished  given  to  him  ; 
this  name  was  generally  connected  cither  with  the  month  in 
which  the  infant  was  born  or  with  circumstances  of  his  birth. 
When  his  childhood  was  over  the  name  by  which  he  was 
henceforth  to  be  known  was  given  to  him  by  the  medicine- 
man, who  played  a  considerable  part  amongst  the  Mexican 
tribes,  as  he  still  does  alike  amongst  the  Indians  of  the 
pueblos  and  the  wandering  Indians.  A  warrior  could  get  a 
third  name  by  an  act  of  exceptional  bravery ;  and  this  name 
was  awarded  to  him  by  the  Calpulli. 

The  Calpulli  was  also  charged  with  the  education  of 
children.  A  public  building  {tiipuchcalli)  was  set  apart  for 
this  purpose.  All  the  boys  without  exception  went  to  it ; 
manual  work,  the  art  of  war,  the  handling  of  arms,  dancing, 
and  singing  formed  the  rudiments  of  education.'  Those 
amongst  the  scholars  who  were  strong  enough  had  to 
cultivate  the  lands  belonging  to  the  Teocallis,  which  were  set 
aside  for  the  support  of  the  priest  and  the  expenses  of  public 
worship. 

Slavery  existed  amongst  the  various  tribes  of  Central 
America.  The  man  belonging  to  a  Calpulli  who  refused  to 
marry,  or  who  did  not  cultivate  the  lands  assigned  to  him, 
and  the  prisoners  taken  in  war,  unless  they  were  sacrificed  to 

'  Torquemada,  book  XIII.,  chap.  XXII.,  p.  454,  et  seq. 
*  Gomar.-i:  "  Hist,  de  Mexico."    Saliagun  :   "  Hist.  Gen.,"  book  IH.,  ciiap. 
IV.,  p.  268,  chap,  v.,  p.  269,  chap.  VIII.,  p.  275. 


r 


THE  PEOPLE   OF  CENTRAL   AMERICA. 


3'3- 


the  gods,  became  slaves.  They  were  called  tiacolti,  literally 
"bought  men."  If  the  s'ave  escaped,  his  master  had  the 
right  to  make  him  wear  a  wooden  collar.  If  he  ran  away  a 
second  time  he  was  taken  to  the  temple  and  immediately 
slain.  If,  as  very  rarely  happened,  he  managed  to  reach  the 
council-chamber  set  aside  for  the  chiefs  of  the  tribe,  without 
being  arrested  either  by  his  master  or  by  any  other  member 
of  the  Calpulli,  he  received  his  liberty.'  The  slave  who 
in  battle  achieved  an  act  of  valor  not  only  had  a  right  to  his 
liberty,  but  he  could  also  be  adopted  by  the  Calpulli; 
henceforth  he  became  one  of  its  members,  enjoying  the  same 
rights  as  his  brothers,  and  like  them  receiving  arms.  When 
a  slave  was  not  thus  liberated  he  acted  as  load-bearer  during 
war,  as  do  certain  negroes  of  the  interior  of  Africa  at 
the  present  day.  Beasts  of  burden  were  unknown  ;  it  was 
the  duty  of  the  porters  to  carry  the  necessary  maize  for  the 
frugal  food  of  the  soldiers,  the  tents  and  the  cords  for  mak- 
ing them  fast,  and  the  poles  and  straw  for  the  construction 
of  rude  huts.  In  case  of  capture  by  the  enemy  the  poor 
wretches  were  almost  always  offered  in  sacrifice  to 
the  gods. 

Judging  by  the  accounts  which  have  come  down  to  us,  or 
by  the  old  paintings  preserved  at  Mexico,  punishments  were 
severe  among  the  tribes  of  the  Nahuatl  race."  According  to 
Las  Casas,  murder  wiis  punished  by  death';  according  to 
Duran,  by  slavery  for  life.  The  man  or  woman  who  wore 
the  clothes  of  the  other  se.x  was  also  condemned  to  death. 
Rape,  incest,  sodomy,  were  punished  with  the  same  penalty; 
but  for  each  crime  the  mode  of  e.\ecution  varied  ;  the  inces- 
tuous criminal  was  huntr*;  he  who  violated  a  child  in 
Michoacan  was  impaled ;  the  .sodomite    was  burned.'     He 

'  Mei)diel.i:   "  Hist.  Ecc.  Iii.l.,"  book  II.,  cliap.  XXVII.,  p.  30. 

*  Bancroft,  vol.  II.,  p.  460,  i-t  stu/.     H.nndelier,  loi-.  (it.,  p.  623,  et  seq. 
'  "  Hist.  Apol.,"  App.,  Kingsl)oiouj;li,   vol.  VIII. 

*  Torqii email .1,  book  XII.,  chap.  IV. 

*  In  spite  of  the  severity  of  tiiis  punishment,  sodomy  was  no  less  common 
among  the  Aztecs  than  among  the  ancient  people  of  Europe.  "  A  certain  num- 
ber of  priests,"  says  Father  Pierre  de  Ciand  ('  Letter  included  in  the  Ternaux 


>ts 


li 


m 


i:1  ^ 
)■  (.1 


'3H 


PPE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


who  in  a  battle  took  possession  of  a  prisoner  taken  by  an- 
other, he  whose  duty  it  was  to  cultivate  the  lands  of 
children  or  of  others  unable  to  till  their  own  ground,  and  who 
neglected  this  duty  for  two  consecutive  years,  or  he  who 
stole  gold  or  silver  objects  consecrated  to  the  gods,  was 
also  punished  with  death.'  The  same  punishment  was  given 
for  seducing  a  woman  who  had  taken  a  vow  of  chastity,  or  a 
married  woman  belonging  to  the  same  Calpulli.  The  adul- 
teress was  quartered,  and  her  limbs  were  divided  amongst 
all  the  men  of  the  Calpulli. 

The  restitution  of  the  stolen  objects  made  amends  for  the 
theft ;  but  in  default  of  this  restitution  the  thief  became  a 
slave  for  life.  Those  guilty  of  calumny  had  their  lips  cut. 
Old  men  of  more  than  seventy  were  alone  allowed  to  get 
drunk  ;  a  drunkard  younger  than  this  had  his  head  shaved, 
and  if  he  held  any  ofifice  he  was  publicly  degraded. 

Corj-  ::eal  punishment  was  rare.  It  was  considered  shame- 
ful even  for  a  slave  to  be  chastised.  Pictography,  however, 
shows  us  a  father  or  a  master  chastising  a  child  with  a  whip. 
There  were  prisons  in  the  different  Tcocallis  and  the  public 
buildings';  and,  if  we  can  trust  the  Conquistadores,  these 
prisons  were  pestilential  places,  in  which  the  air  was  so 
vitiated  that  the  unfortunate  wretches  sent  to  them  rapidly 
perished  by  suffocation. 

No  written  laws  regulated  those  various  penalties ;  they 
were  probably  inflicted  in  accordance  with  ancient  customs, 
and  must  certainly  have  varied  amongst  the  different  tribes. 

We  have  said  that  the  association  of  the  clans  or  Calpulli, 
united  by  the  bonds  of  a  common  territory,  common  reli- 
gious rites  and  a  common  language,  formed  the  tribe.    Some 

Comp.ins  Collection,'  1st  series,  vol  X.,  p.  197),  could  not  have  wives,  j^i/ 
earttm  loco piieros  abutebantur.  The  sin  was  so  common  that  young  and  old 
were  infected  by  it."  We  must,  however,  make  some  allowance  for 
exaggeration. 

'  Mendieta, /w,  rtV.,  book  II.,  chap.  XXIX.  Vetancurt :  "  Teatro  Mexi- 
cano,"  vol.  I.,  p.  484. 

°  Teilpiloyan  or  Tecaltzaqualoyan.  Mendieta,  loc.  cit.,  chap.  XXIX.,  p.  138. 
Molina:  "  Vocabulerio  in  lengua  Castillana  y  Mexicana,"  Mexico,  1571,  vol. 
IT.,  pp.  86-91. 


THE  PEOPLE  OF  CENTRAL  AMERICA. 


315 


tribes  are  mentioned  which  included  as  many  as  twenty 
Calpulli. 

The  tribe  was  governed  by  a  council  composed  of  dele- 
gates from  each  Calpulli  (tetoani,  orators,  or  techutatoca, 
talking  chiefs).  They  met  in  the  tccpan,  or  council-cham- 
ber, and  it  was  their  duty  to  uphold  the  ancestral  customs, 
and  especially  to  maintain  harmony  among  the  Calpulli, 
which  was,  according  to  the  chroniclers,  a  very  difficult  task.' 

In  the  tribe,  as  in  the  Calpulli,  no  office  or  dignity  was 
hereditary.  They  were  obtained  by  election,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  title  of  Tecuhtli  (grandfather),  which  was 
given  as  a  reward  for  acts  of  bravery  before  the  enemy,  for 
long  and  important  services  either  in  the  council  or  in  the 
embassies,  of  which  we  have  described  the  perils.  It  was 
also  possible  to  obtain  it  by  a  series  of  initiations,  to  which 
he  who  aspired  to  this  honor  had  to  submit.  During  four 
days  and  four  nights  he  was  shut  up  in  the  chief  teocalli  of 
the  tribe  and  subjected  to  a  most  rigorous  fast.  He  was 
bled  from  every  part  of  his  body ;  all  sleep  was  forbidden  to 
him  ;  his  keepers  tore  off  his  clothes,  scourged  him  cruelly, 
and  to  add  to  his  misery  they  partook  before  him  of  sump- 
tuous feasts,  at  which  he  had  to  look  on  without  for  an  in- 
stant losing  his  impassibility.  The  four  days  over,  the 
novice  returned  to  his  Calpulli,  where  he  passed  an  entire 
year  in  retreat  and  the  most  rigorous  penance,  mutilating 
himself  and  inflicting  often  intolerable  bodily  torture. 
Throughout  this  time  his  brothers  collected  the  presents 
that  they  were  bound  to  offer  to  the  gods,  chiefs  of  the 
tribe,  priests,  and  medicine-men.  At  the  expiration  of  the 
year,  the  future  Tecuhtli  had  to  go  back  to  the  teocalli  and 
to  submit  anew  to  the  tests  he  had  already  gone  through, 
and  which  terminated  at  last  in  a  grand  feast,  at  which  were 
given  to  him  the  ornaments  that  he  had  henceforth  the  right 
to  wear,  and  which  appear  to  have  been  his  only  privilege." 

'  A.  de  Zurita  :  "  Rapport  surles  difTerentes  classes  de   chefs  de  la  Nouvelle 
Espagne,"  Ternaux  Compans,  2d  series,  vol.  II. 
•Sahagun,    book  VIII.,  chap.  XXXVIII.,  p.   329.     Ixtlilxochitl  :    "  Rela- 


I 

5 1 


3i6 


PKE-HISTONIC  AMERICA. 


ti 


1 

i 

( 

^ 

I     1  i 
( 

! 

, 

i 
1 

i 

J 

We  have  now  summarized  the  facts  actually  known  of  the 
organization  and  government  of  the  various  people  belong- 
ing to  the  powerful  Nahuatl  race,  who  successively  overran 
Central  America,  and  especially  Anahuac.  We  have  still  to 
speak  of  the  ruins,  the  importance  of  which  becomes  each 
day  more  apparent,  which  rise  before  the  eyes  of  the  trav- 
eller even  in  deserts  and  in  the  midst  of  forests  previously 
reputed  impenetrable. 

Before  touching  these  new  questions,  we  must  not  omit 
one  remark  which  cannot  fail  to  have  occurred  to  the  reader. 
Long  before  the  Spanish  conquest  the  people  of  America 
had  reached  that  state  to  which  modern  socialism  would 
return,  and  o'  wh'. ■  the  latter  claims  the  honor  and  the 
profit ;  the  absence  )i  all  hereditary  principles  in  property 
as  in  the  fapiih';  communism  alike  in  the  pueblo  and  in  the 
Calpulli ;  the  om.i  "on,  ;^^  ige  as  it  may  appear,  of  any 
name  transmitted  from  father  to  son  which  could  perpetuate 
in  descendants  the  glory  of  ancestors ;  the  education  in 
common  of  all  children  under  the  sole  authority  of  represen- 
tatives of  the  Calpulli;  election  to  all  offices  and  all  posts; 
the  merging  of  the  individual  for  the  good  of  the  com- 
munity. To  what  did  these  institutions  lead,  which  igno- 
rance and  theory  delight  in  holding  up  to  the  human  race  as 
the  beacon  lights  of  the  future  ?  To  the  most  complete 
anarchy ;  to  struggles  without  end  or  truce  between  tribe 
and  tribe,  Calpulli  and  Calpulli ;  to  hatred  so  fierce  that  the 
Spanish  appeared  as  liberators,  and  owed  their  victory  as 
much  to  the  services  of  allies,  eager  to  escape  from  the  yoke 
which  weighed  them  down,  as  to  the  courage  of  their  own 
soldiers. 

ciones,"  .ipp.,  p.  257.  Mendieta,  book  II.,  chap.  XXXVIII.,  p.  156.  It  is 
curious  to  meet  with  ceremonies  somewhat  lilte  these  amongst  the  Incas  and 
the  Indians  of  Orinoco  (liandelier,  /.  c,  p.  643  and  note  171), 


Ifht'  I 


J.I    i 


CHAPTER  VII. 


THE    RUINS  OF  CENTRAL   AMERICA. 


In  a  previous  chapter  we  g^v^e  a  summary  of  the  best 
available  information  about  the  races  who  occupied  Central 
America,  pushed  southward,  founding  confederacies,  build- 
ing towns,  and  covering  whole  regions  with  their  struc- 
tures, to  disappear,  leaving  hardly  a  name  in  history,  or  a 
memory  in  tradition.  To  complete  this  study,  we  must 
now  ascertain  what  the  monuments,  or  rather  the  ruins, 
that  time  and  men  have  alike  been  powerless  to  destroy,  can 
tell  us. 

One  preliminary  remark  must  be  made.  We  hardly  meet 
with  such  grand  structures  as  those  of  Egypt  or  Assyria,  of 
India  or  of  China,  except  under  similar  circumstances;  al- 
most essential  for  their  erection  were  a  people  living  under 
despotic  government,  and  a  conquering  race  forcibly  com- 
pelling a  subject  people  to  do  the  necessary  work.  The  con- 
querors contributed  their  taste,  their  traditions,  and  their 
peculiar  genius ;  the  conquered  contributed  the  material 
elements  with  their  labor  and  the  sweat  of  their  brow.  We 
are  hardly  yet  justified  in  asserting  that  similar  events  took 
place  in  America,  though  we  may  suspect  that  the  monu- 
ments still  existing  had  a  similar  origin. 

The  researches,  made  at  the  cost  of  difficult  and  often 
dangerous  explorations,  have  rendered  possible  some  at- 
tempts at  classification ;  and  we  can  already  distinguish 
between  Maya  and  Nahuatl  architecture ;  and  among  the 
Mayas  themselves,  between  the  style  of  the  buildings  of 
Chiapas  and  those  of  Yucatan.' 

'  Short,  "  North  Americans  of  Antiquity,"  p.  340. 

317 


,  A,: 


ili  ; 


t*  ^'i 


318 


PRE-HISTORIC   AMERICA. 


The  monuments  of  Palenque '  are  justly  reckoned  amongst 
the  most  remarkable  in  Chiapas.  The  town  stands  in  the 
region  watered  by  the  Usunacinta,  where  settled  the  first 
immigrants  of  whom  it  has  been  possible  to  distinguish 
traces.  The  position  of  Palenque,  at  the  foot  of  the  first 
buttresses  of  the  mountain-chain,  on  the  banks  of  th-^  little 
river  Otolum,  one  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Tulija,  was  ad- 
mirably chosen."  The  streets  extended  for  a  length  of  from 
six  to  eight  leagues,  irregularly  following  the  course  of  the 
streams  which  descend  from  the  mountains  and  furnished 
the  inhabitants  with  an  abundant  supply  of  the  water  neces- 
sary to  them.  At  the  present  day  the  ruins  rise  in  .solitude, 
which  adds  to  the  effect  produced  by  them.  They  were 
long  altogether  unknown  ;  Cortes,  in  one  of  his  expeditions, 
passed  within  a  few  miles  of  Palenque  without  suspecting 
its  existence ;  and  it  was  not  till  1 746,  that  chance  led  to  its 
discovery  by  a  cure  of  the  neighborhood." 

We  owe  the  first  description  of  the  ruins  to  Jos6  de 
Calderon,  who  had  been  sent  by  the  Spanish  government  to 
examine  them.  His  account  is  dated  December  15,  1764. 
Since  then  they  have  been  visited  by  numerous  explorers ; 
only  a  year  or  two  ago  Charnay  returned  a  second  time  from 
Palenque,  and  the  casts  taken  by  him  of  the  hieroglyphics 
there  are  among  the  most  curious  possessions  of  the  new 
Trocadoro  Museum  at  Paris. 


'  Palenque  comes  from  a  Spanish  word  signifying  palisade  ;  the  ancient  name 
of  the  town  is  still  unknown. 

'A.  del  Rio,"  Descripcion  del  terreno  y  poblacion  antigua,"  English  transla- 
tion, London,  1S22.  Captain  Dupaix,  "  Relation  des  trois  expeditions  ordon- 
necs  en  1805,-6,  and-7,  pour  la  recherche  des  antiquites  du  pays  notamment  de 
cellcs  de  Mitlaetde  Palenque,"  3  vol,  fol.  Paris,  1833.  See  also  Kingsborough, 
/.  c,  vols.  V.  and  VI.  Waldeck  :  "  Voy.  arch,  et  pittoresque  dans  la  province 
du  Yucatan,"  fol.  Paris,  1838.  Stephens  &  Catherwood  :  "  Incidents  of  Travel 
in  Central  America,"  New  York,  1841  ;  "In  Yucatan,"  New  York,  1858,  by 
the  same  authors.  lirasseur  de  Bourbourg:  "  Recherches  sur  les  ruines  de 
Palenque  avec  les  dessins  de  Waldeck,"  fol.  Paris,  1866.  Bancroft,  /.  c,  vol. 
IV.,  p.  28g,  et  seq,,  gives  a  very  complete  bibliography,  which  is  useful  to  con- 
sult. 

'  In  1750,  according  to  D.  Diego  Juarros;  "  Hist,  of  the  Kingdom  of  Guate- 
mala," London,  1823. 


'tm 


iMfa 


THE  RUINS  OF  CENTRAL   AAfERICA. 


3J9 


Among  the  bcst-prcscrvcd  ruins  may  be  mentioned  the 
palace,  the  temple  of  the  three  tablets,  the  temple  of  the  bas- 
reliefs,  the  temple  of  the  cross,  and  the  temple  of  the  sun. 
We  keep  the  names  given  by  various  explorers  in  the 
absence  of  better  ones.  There  are  others,  but  of  less  impor- 
tance. Dupaix  speaks  of  eleven  buildings  still  standing, 
and  a  few  years  before  A.  del  Rio  mentioned  twenty ; 
Waldeck  says  eighteen,  and  Maler,  who  visited  the  ruins  of 
Palenque  in  1877,  fixes  the  number  of  the  temples  or  palaces 
at  twelve.  These  contradictions  are  more  apparent  than 
real,  and  are  explained  by  the  different  impressions  of  each 
traveller,  and  the  divisions  he  thought  it  necessary  to 
adopt. 

The  palace,  the  most  important  building  of  Palenque, 
rests  on  a  truncated  pyramid  '  about  forty  feet  high,  the 
base  of  which  measures  from  three  hundred  and  ten  feet  by 
two  hundred  and  sixty.  The  inside  of  this  pyramid  is  of 
earth  ;  the  external  faces  are  covered  with  large  slabs  ;  steps 
lead  up  to  the  principal  building,  which  forms  a  quadrilateral 
of  two  hundred  and  twenty  eight  feet  by  one  hundred 
and  eighty";  the  walls, which  are  two  or  three  feet  thick, are 
of  rubble,  crowned  by  a  frieze  framed  between  two  double 
cornices.  Inside  as  well  as  outside  they  are  covered  with  a 
very  fine  and  durable  stucco,  painted  red  or  blue,  black 
or  white.  The  principal  front  faces  the  east  ;  it  includes 
fourteen  entrances  about  nine  feet  wide,  separated  by 
pilasters  ornamented  with  figures.  These  figures  measure 
more  than  six  feet  high,  and  are  full  of  movement ;  while 
above  the  head  of  each  are  hieroglyphics  inlaid  in  the 
stucco  (fig.  123).     Some  day,  perhaps,  a  key  to  them  will  be 

'Some  subterranean  galleries  have  been  made  out  iu  the  interior  of  the 
pyramid.  These  pyramids,  which  remind  us  of  the  work  of  the  Mound 
Builders,  are  the  most  striking  characteristics  of  the  architecture  of  Central 
America. 

"Stephens,  /.  c,  vol.  II.,  p.  310;  Waldeck:  "Palenque,"  pi.,  II.; 
Armcn  ("  Das  heutige  Mexico  ")  gives  a  ground-plan  and  an  attempt  at  restora- 
tion of  the  temple.  Bancroft  also  gives  an  attempt  at  restoration  (/.  (.,  vol.  IV., 
p.  323). 


li 


\\ 


320 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMEKICA. 


discovered  and  the  history  of  Palenque  be  revealed.  Nu- 
merous masonry  niches  in  the  wall  merit  special  atten- 
tion on  account  of  their  resemblance  to  the  letter  T  or 
rather  the  Egyptian  /««.'  Waldeck  made  out  on  some  of 
them  marks  of  smoke,  from  which  he  concluded  that 
they  were  intended  to  hold  torches  ;  others  may  have  been 


l'"iG.  123. — Stucco  bas-relief  from  Palenque. 

-used   for   supplying  the   passage-ways   with   air  and   light 
of  which  they  stood  in  great  need. 

' "  As  for  the  figures  of  tau,  so  numerous  in  the  buildings,  ornaments,  bas- 
reliefs,  and  even  in  the  form  of  the  lights,  although  it  is  impossible  to 
pronounce  an  opinion  on  this  point  in  the  present  state  of  our  knowledge, 
we  cannot  avoid  noticing  it."  Jomard  :  Bull.  Soc.  Gdog.,  de  Paris,  vol.  V., 
series  II.,  p.  6ao.   One  of  the  bas-reliefs  of  the  palace  figured  by  Bancroft  (/.  c. 


THE  KUINS  OF  CENTRAL  AMERICA. 


321 


The  inside  of  the  palace  corresponds  with  the  magnifi- 
cence of  the  outside  ;  there  are  galleries  forming  a  peristyle 
all  round  the  court ;  and  the  rooms  are  decorated  with 
granite  bas-reliefs  (fig.  124),  grotesque  figures,  some  thirteen 
feet  high.  The  drawing  and  the  anatomical  proportions  are 
tolerably  correct,  and  the  expression  of  the  figures  speaks 
well  for  the  skill  of  the  artis*- ;  but  the  execution  is  weak, 
suggesting  an  art  in  decadence  rather  than  the  ruggedness 
of  one  in  its  infancy.' 


^ 


«uTir 


Fig.  124. — Bas-relief  of  the  palace  of  Palenque. 


These  rooms  were  united  by  corridors ;  we  reproduce  a 
section  of  one  of  them  (fig.  125),  which  will  give  an  idea  of 
the  mode  of  its  construction.  The  architects  of  Palenque 
were  ignorant  of  the  arch,  and  their  vaults  were  formed  of 
over-sailing  courses,  one  above  the  other,  as  in  the  cyclopcan 
monuments  of  Greece  and  Italy. 

vol.  IV.,  p.  317)  is  a  figure  wearing  an  ornament  in  the  form  of  thf  '  >.. 
In  chapter  VIII,  we  mention  some  windows  which  are  also  of  this  lorm 
in  the  Yucay  valley,  Peru.  We  know  that  the  tau,  in  Egyptian  hieroglyphics, 
signifies  life.  Max  Uhlman  :  "  Handbuch  der  gesamten  Aegyptischen 
alterthumskunde,"  vol.  I.,  p.  108. 

'  Viollet  le  Due,  in  Charnay  :    "  Cites  et  Ruines  Americaines,"  Int.,  p.  74. 


<■•! 


] 


322 


/'A' A-  HIS  TOKIC  A  Ml'.  KICA . 


1/ 


r.i; 


ii 


m 


The  buildirifT  is  finished  off  with  a  tower  of  three  stories, 
measuring  thirty  feet  square  at  the  base.  Here,  too,  we  find 
symbolical  decorations,  which  are  very  rich  and  in  a  very 
good  state  of  preservation.  There  is  nothing  to  indicate  the 
age  of  this  palace ;  it  was,  as  we  have  said,  abandoned  at  the 
time  of  the  Spanish  conquest,  at  which  epoch,  moreover, 
none  of  the  races  peopling  America  were  in  the  habit  of 
constructing  similar  buildings.  We  can,  howcv' r,  fix  a  cer- 
tain limit  to  its  age  ;  for,  with  tropical  rains  lasting  six 
months  a  year,  and  the  luxurious  vegetation  which  fills  all 
the  crevices,  no  monument  could  last  for  a  number  of  cen- 
turies, such  as  is  attributed,  for  instance,  to  the  buildings  of 
Egypt ;  and  the  most  daring  conjectures  do  not  admit  of 


Fig.  125, — Section  of  a  double  corridor  at  I'alenque. 

our  dating  the  monuments  of  Palenque  earlier  than  the  first 
centuries  of  our  era.'  After  this  last  visit,  indeed,  Charnay 
no  longer  accepts  so  remote  a  date  as  that,  but  thinks  that 
all  the  monuments  of  Yucatan  are  the  work  of  the  Toltecs, 
and  were  built  between  the  twelfth  and  fourteenth  cen- 
turies." It  is  impossible  that  these  delicate  ornaments, 
made  of  little  lozenge-shaped  bits  of  cement  stuck  on  to  the 
wall,  could  have  longer  resisted  the  effects  of  a  destructive 

'  Bancroft  (vol.  IV.,  p.  362,  note  68)  gives  a  list  of  all  the  hypotheses  as  to 
the  date  of  the  foundation  of  Palenque.  They  vary  from  the  date  of  the 
deluge  to  the  fifteenth  century  of  the  Christian  era.  The  margin,  it  will  be 
seen,  is  wide. 

'Bull.  Soc.  Gdogr.,  November,  1881. 


%\-- 


V 


THE  RUINS  OF  CENTRAL  A  Af ERIC  A. 


323 


,. 


climate.  Another  no  less  important  remark  must  be  made. 
The  staircases  are  new,  the  steps  are  whole,  the  e(l;;cs  are 
sharp ;  nowhere  do  we  see  any  traces  of  wear  and  tear,  the 
certain  proofs  of  lonjj  habitation.*  The  conclusion  is  inevi- 
table ;  the  people  of  Palenquc,  for  reasons  which  are  still 
unknown,  evacuated  the  town  soon  after  the  construction  of 
the  chief  buildings. 

The  size  of  the  trees  overgrowing  the  roofs  and  the  pyra- 
mids had  hitherto  been  accepted  as  a  conclusive  proof  of 
the  antiijuity  of  these  buildings.  It  was  by  relying  upon 
such  evidence  that  Waldeck  spoke  of  2,000  years ;  and  Lar- 
rainzar  speaks  of  one  tree  amongst  the  ruins,  on  which  he 
was  able,  with  the  help  of  a  microscope,  to  count  as  many 
as  1,700  concentric  circles,  to  which,  founding  his  opinion  on 
the  formerly  received  data,  he  assigned  an  antiquity  of 
1,700  years.  But  here  again  Charnay  comes  to  totally  dif- 
ferent conclusions.  He  had  a  shrub  nit  down,  eighteen 
months  old  at  most,  and  found  in  it  eighteen  of  these  cir- 
cles. His  first  thought  was,  that  he  had  come  upon  an 
anomaly ;  but  after  having  several  trees  of  different  kinds 
and  sizes  cut  down,  he  found  in  all  of  them  similar  phenom- 
ena in  similar  proportions. 

Nor  is  this  all ;  at  the  time  of  his  first  visit  to  Palenque  in 
1859,  Charnay  had  the  trees  hiding  the  ruins  cut  down,  so 
as  to  take  more  exact  photographs.  Other  trees  grew  up  in 
their  places,  which  trees  must  have  been  twenty-two  years 
old  in  1 88 1.  On  a  section  of  one  of  these,  rather  more  than 
two  feet  in  diameter,  he  counted  230  concentric  circles. 
This  is  an  important  fact  of  vegetable  physiology,  and  proves 
that  we  cannot  estimate  the  age  of  trees  in  the  tropics  by 
the  same  process  as  we  do  that  of  those  in  northern  lati- 
tudes (which  for  that  matter  also  afford  but  imperfect  evi- 
dence), and  the  chief  proof  of  the  antiquity  of  the  buildings 
of  Palenque  falls  through  completely. 

It  would  take  too  long  to  describe  the  other  monuments 
of  Palenque,  which  are  known  under  the  name  of  temples.' 

'  The  great  temple  of  Palenque  bears  a  curious  resemblance  to  that  of  Boro- 
Boudor,  in  the  island  of  Java,  Edinburgh  Review,  April,  1867. 


i 


324 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


%* 


*  We  must,  however,  mention  one  of  them,  situated  on  the 
other  bank  of  the  Otolum,  and  known  under  the  name  of 
the  Temple  of  the  Cross.  It  rises  from  a  truncated  pyra- 
mid and  forms  a  quadrilateral  with  three  openings  in  each 
face,  separated  by  massive  pilasters,  some  ornamented  with 
hieroglyphics  and  some  ornamented  with  human  figures. 
The  frieze  is  also  covered  with  human  figures,  and  amongst 
those  still  visible  Stephens  mentions  a  head  and  two  torso^>, 
which,  in  their  perfection  of  form,  recall  Greek  art.  The 
openings,  all  at  right  angles,  lead  into  an  inside  gallery  com- 
municating with  three  little  rooms.  The  central  one  of 
these  rooms  contains  an  altar,  which  fairly  represents  an 
open  chest,  ornamented  with  a  little  frieze  with  a  margin. 
From  the  two  upper  extremities  of  this  frieze  spring  two 
wings,  recalling  the  mode  of  ornamentation  so  often  em- 
ployed in  tlie  pediments  of  Egyptian  monuments.' 

Above  the  altar  was  originally  placed  the  tablet  of  the 
cross  (fig.  126),  which  was  afterward  torn  from  its  position 
by  the  hand  of  a  fanatic,  who  chose  to  see  in  it  the  sacred 
sign  of  the  Christian  faith,  miraculously  preserved  by  the 
ancient  inhabitants  of  the  palace.  The  tablet  was  taken 
down  and  then  abiuidoned,  we  know  not  why,  in  the  midst 
of  the  forest  covering  part  of  the  ruins.  Here  it  was  that 
the  Americans  discovered  part  of  it,  took  possession  of  it, 
and  carried  it  to  Washington,  where  it  forms  part  of  the 
collection  of  the  National  Museum.''  The  centre  represents 
a  cross,  resting  upon  a  hideous  figure,  and  surmounted  by  a 
grotesque  bird.  On  the  right,  a  figure  on  foot  is  offering 
presents;  on  the  left,  another  figure,  in  a  stiff  attitude, 
seems  to  be  [)raying  to  the  divinity.  The  costume  of 
these  two  persons  is  unlike  any  that  is  now  in  use  ;  and 
above  their  heads  we  can  make  out  several  hieroglyphical 
characters.  A  slab  on  the  right  is  also  covered  with  them. 
In  the  present  state  of  knowledge  it  is  impossible  to  make 

'  Charnay,  he.  cit..  p.  .jiy,  from  whom  we  borrow  the  greater  part  of 
these  details.  Del  K\o,  Inc.  cif.,p.  17.  Waldeck,  plate  XX.  .Stephens,  lee, 
cit.,  vol.  II.,  p.  344. 

"Ch.  Rail  :  "The  Palenque  Tablet,"  Smith  Cont.,  vol.   XXII. 


r. 


M^ 


THE  RUINS  OF  CENTRAL  AMERICA. 


325 


out  whether  these  i.iscriptions  are  prayers  to  the  gods,  the 
history  of  the  country  or  that  of  the  temple,  the  name  or 
the  dedication  of  the  founders. 

At  the  end  of  the  sanctuary  recently  discovered  near 
Palcnque'  (fig.  127,  p.  326),  by  Maler,  are  three  slabs  of 
sculptured  stone  in  low  relief.     On  the  right  and  left  are 


!ilS^B!SCT» 


P'iG.  126. — Tablet  of  the  cross  at  Palenque. 

hieroglyphics ;  in  the  centre  a  cross,  surmounted  by  a 
head  of  strange  appearance,  wearing  round  the  neck  a 
collar  with  a  medallion  ;  above  this  head  is  a  bird,  and  on 
either  side  arc  figures  exactly  like  those  of  the  temple  of 

^Nature,  October  4,  1S79.  , 


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a 

V 
U 

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396 


THE  RUINS  OF  CENTRAL  AMERICA. 


327 


# 


the  cross.  Evidently  this  was 
a  hieratic  type,  from  which  the 
artist  was  not  allowed  to  de- 
part. 

The  existence  of  the  cross  at 
Palenque,  on  one  of  the  monu- 
ments of  an  earlier  date  than  the 
introduction  of  Christianity,  is 
not  an  isolated  fact.  Palacio, 
the  judicial  assessor,  saw  at  Co- 
pan  a  cross,  with  one  of  its  arms 
broken';  the  Jesuit  Ruiz  men- 
tions one  in  Paraguay ;  Garci- 
lasso  de  la  Vega,  another  at 
Cuzco  ;  and  we  have  previously 
referred  to  several  examples. 
The  cross  is  supposed  to  have 
been  looked  upon  as  the  sym- 
bol of  the  creative  and  fertili/iing 
power  of  nature,  and  in  several 
places  was  honored  by  sacrifices 
of  quails,  incense,  and  lustral 
water. 

We  cannot  leave  tne  ruins  of 
Palenque  without  mentioning  a 
statue  (fig.  128),  remarkable  for 
more  than  one  reason.''  The 
calm  and  smiling  expression  of 
the  face  resembles  that  of  some 
of  the  Egyptian  statues  ;  the 
head-dress  is  a  little  like  that 
of  the  Assyrians ;  there  is  a 
necklace  around  the  neck ;  the 


Statue  from  Pelanque. 


'  "  Carta  dirigada  al  Rey  de  Espaiia  aflo  1576,"  published  at  Albany,  with 
an  English  translation  in  i860. 

"  The  height  of  the  statue  is  10  ft.  6  in.,  and  there  was  another,  a  counterpart 
of  it.  They  were  evidently  both  intended  to  form  pilasters,  for  one  side  of  each 
was  left  in  the  rough  ;  they  were  discovered  and  figured  by  Waldeck. 


1      !l 


.>?;  If 


1 


'   1 1' 

>  I" 


^t 


PRE-HISTOKIC  AMERICA. 


figure  presses  upon  its  bosom  an  instrument,  and  rests 
its  left  hand  upon  an  ornament,  the  meaning  of  both 
of  which  it  is  difificult  to  imagine.  The  pHnth  of  the  statue 
has  a  cartouch  with  a  hieroglyphical  inscription,  '  probabh- 
giving  the  name  of  the  god  or  hero  to  whom  it  was  dedi- 
cated. 

There  is  a  very  distinct  resemblance  in  some  of  <-hese 
hieroglyphics  to  those  of  Egypt.  We  mention  this  without 
however  trying  to  solve,  by  a  few  accidental  resemblances, 
the  great  problem  of  the  origin  of  races,  still  less  to  establish 
the  existence  of  a  connection  between  the  inhabitants  of 
Egypt  and  those  of  Central  America  at  the  comparatively 
recent  date  of  the  erection  nf  the  monuments  of  Palcnque. 

Two  races  successively  bore  the  name  of  Quiche.  The 
old  Quiches  of  ]\Iaya  origin,  to  whom  Ave  owe  the  monu- 
ments of  Copan  and  of  Quirigua,  and  the  Cakchiquel 
Quiches,  who  were  probably  descended  from  the  first,  but 
had  been  greatly  modified  by  various  Nahuatl  influences. 
These  latter  still  existed  as  a  people  at  the  time  of  the 
Spanish  invasion  ;  they  offered  vigorous  resistance  to  the 
Conquistadores,  and  their  capital,  Utatlan,  was  taken  and 
destroyed. 

Copan  is  now  a  miserable  village,  a  short  distance  from 
the  ruins,  famous  alone  for  the  excellence  of  its  tobacco, 
which  rivals  that  of  Cuba.  The  ancient  town  was  situated 
at  the  foot  of  the  mountains  separating  Guatemala  from 
Honduras,"  on  the  Rio  Copan,  a  tributary  of  the  Motagua, 
which  flows  into  the  Bay  of  Honduras.  Its  ruins  have  long 
been  overgrown  by  the  dense  vegetation  of  the  forests, 
which  can  only  be  penetrated  with  axe  in  hand;  hence  the 
oblivion  in  which  they  have  so  long  been  shrouded,  and  in 
which  they  still  remain  in  spite  of  their  great  interest.  They 

*  In  the  various  hieroglyphics  that  we  reproduce,  the  existence  can  be  made 
out  of  several  dots  in  regular  order,  separated  by  a  stroke  from  the  rest  of  the 
inscription  ;  this  is  perhaps  a  key  for  a  future  Champollion. 

'The  ruins  arc  situated  in  N.  Lat.  14'  45'  and  W.Long.  90°  52'.  Copan  has 
sometimes  been  confounded  with  the  town  which  in  1530  offered  so  heroic  a 
resistance  to  Hernandez  de  Chiaves. 


I 


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330 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


t     .,< 


jlf-nt 


are  first  mentioned  in  a  letter  addressed  in  1576  to  King 
Philip  II.,  by  Diego  de  Palacio ;  but  it  is  to  Stephens  that 
we  owe  the  only  complete  description  in  existence,  and 
it  is  this  description  which  is  referred  to  by  the  Abb6 
Brasseur  de  Bourbourg,  who  visited  Copan  in  1863  and 
1866.' 

In  their  present  state  the  ruins  cover  an  area  of  900  feet 
by  i,6cx).  The  walls,  built  of  immense  blocks  of  stone,  and 
partly  destroyed  by  the  roots  ol  **"ees  which  penetrate  them 
everywhere,  are  twenty-five  feet  thick  at  their  base,  and  in 
some  places  rise  in  terraces,  and  still  preserve  some  traces  of 
painting.  The  chief  building,  known  under  the  name  of  the 
temple,  is  situated  on  the  northwest  of  the  enclosure ;  its 
form  is  that  of  a  truncated  pyramid,  the  sides  of  which  are  six 
hundred  and  twenty-four  feet  high  on  the  north  and  south, 
and  eight  hundred  and  nine  on  the  east  and  west.  The 
walls  on  the  side  facing  the  river  are  perpendicular,  and 
vary  from  sixty  to  ninety  feet  in  height ;  on  the  other 
side  they  slope  considerably.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to 
call  attention  to  the  resemblance  of  this  building  to  the 
mounds  of  Mississippi  and  Ohio.  The  pyramids  were  dedi- 
cated to  the  gods  of  the  Mayas,  and  it  was  on  the  platform 
crowning  them,  that  these  people  attempted  to  honor  their 
gods  by  sacrifices  which  were  too  often  bloody. 

Beyond  the  river  fragments  of  walls,  terraces,  and  pyra- 
mids, which  cannot  now  be  completely  made  out,  stretch 
away  in  the  direction  of  the  forest  ;  mountains  of  rubbish 
indicate  the  sites  of  buildings  now  crumbled,  promising  an 
ample  harvest  to  future  archajologists."  In  one  of  the 
rooms    of    the    palace    Col.    Galindo     discovered     several 

'  Besides  those  whom  \vc  have  already  named,  we  may  mention  among  the 
■explorers,  Francisco  de  Fuentes  in  1700;  his  account  has  been  published  by 
Domingo  Juarros,  "A  Statistical  and  Commercial  Hist,  of  Guatemala,"  Lon- 
don, 1824,  and  by  Col.  Galindo  in  1832,  Bull.  Soc.  Gc'og.  de  Paris,  series 
II.,  1836,  vol.  5,  p.  267.  Stephens  and  Catherwood  visited  the  ruins  in  1839. 
Their  work  is  entitled,  "  Views  of  Ancient  Monuments  in  Central  America, 
Chiapas,  and  Yucatan,"  fol.  New  York,  1844.  Bancroft  gives  for  Copan,  as  for 
Palenque,  a  very  complete  bibliography. 

'G.ilindo.  "  Am.  Ant.  Soc.  Tran^..."  vol,  II.,  p.  547. 


li 


Fig.   130. — Statue  found  amongst  the  ruins  of  Copan, 
331 


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I  i'  'it.'/ 


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:.;! 


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332 


PRE-mSTORIC  AMERICA. 


vases  of  red  earth,  containing  bones  mixed  with  lime.' 
A  great  number  of  statues,  obelisks,  and  columns,  laden 
with  sculpture  and  hieroglyphics,""  form  the  most  inter- 
esting discoveries  made  at  Copan.  We  give  an  illustration 
of  one  of  these  statues  (fig.  130),  which  seems  to  mark  the 
zenith  of  Maya  art,  and  in  which  we  know  not  what  is  the 
most  astonishing,  the  grotcsqueness  of  the  design,  the  rich- 
ness of  the  ornamentation,  or  the  delicacy  of  the  execution. 
We  may  also  mention  an  alligator,  holding  in  its  mouth  a 
figure  with  a  human  head  and  the  extremities  of  an  animal ; 
and  a  gigantic  toad  with  feet  ending  in  the  nails  of  a  cat. 

On  the  faces  of  one  of  the  pyramids  included  in  the  perime- 
ter of  the  principal  enclosure  are  rows  of  heads  (fig.  131). 
Some  of  these  are  skulls,'  others  the  heads  of  monkeys, 
which  animals  are  very  numerous  in  the  neighborhood,  and 
may  have  been  the  objects  of  the  veneration,  or  even  of  the 
worship,  of  the  inhabitants.  A  human  face  (fig.  132)  found 
near  the  temple,  also  deserves  to  be  reproduced.  The  in- 
habitants of  Copan  have  left  their  portraits  in  the  bas-reliefs, 
they  have  hewn  them  out  of  hard  stone,  they  have  modelled 
them  in  earthenware.  The  desire  of  perpetuating  his 
memory  is  a  feeling  innate  in  man  ;  we  meet  with  it  in  every 
clime  and  through  every  age. 

The  whole  of  Yucatan  is  covered  with  interesting  ruins. 
In  the  north  are  Izamal,  Ake,  Merida,  Mayapan ;  in  the 
centre,  Uxmal,  Kabah,  Labna,  and  nineteen  other  towns,  the 
extent  of  which  attest  their  importance  ;  and  in  the  east, 
Chichen-Itza,  one  of  the  wonders  of  America.  The  south- 
ern districts,  especially  that  bordering  on  Guatemala,  are  less 
known,  but  it  has  already  been  ascertained  that  brilliant  dis- 
coveries are  reserved   to  explorers  in  the  province  of  Itur- 

^Bull.  Soc.  Geog.,  vol.  V.,  2d  series,  Paris.  1836. 

*  These  hieroglyphics  resemble  those  of  Palenque,  and  like  the  latter  are  still 
undeciphered. 

'There  are  other  examples  of  this  style  of  decoration.  At  Nohpat  a  frieze 
has  been  found  covered  with  skulls  and  cross-bones.  Nohpat  may  have  been 
a  town  as  large  as  Uxmal ;  but  the  ruins  themselves  have  almost  entirely  dis- 
appeared.    Stephens:  "  Yucatan,"  vol.  II.,  p.  348. 


' 


THE  RUINS  OF  CENTRAL  AMERICA. 


333 


bide.  "  That  extensive  ruins  yet  lie  hidden  in  these  unex- 
plored regions  can  hardly  be  doubted  ;  indeed,  it  is  by  no 
means  certain  that  the  grandest  cities,  even  in  the  settled 
and  partially  explored  part  of  the  peninsula,  have  yet  been 
described."  '  Bancroft's  prediction  has  been  verified,  and 
while  this  volume  was  in  press,  Charnay  discovered,  on  the 
borders  of  the  province  of  Pachualko,  and  of  the  country 
claimed  by  Guatemala,  a  town  in  ruins,  containing  monu- 
ments of  the  same  style  as  those  of  Palenque.  The  origin 
and  the  name  of  this  town  are  alike  entirely  unknown,  and 
Charnay  thought  himself  authorized  to  call  it  Lorillard  City. 
The  decoration  consists  chiefly  of 
stucco,  which  is  in  a  very  bad  con- 
dition ;  the  skilful  explorer  was, 
however,  able  to  remove  five  bas- 
reliefs,  and  take  casts  from  them. 
As  at  Palenque,  we  find  a  cruciform 
symbol ;  but  it  resembles  rather  the 
Buddhist  than  the  Christian  cross." 
Most  of  these  ruins  have  been 
described,  so  we  content  ourselves 
with  giving  a  rapid  summary  of 
the  most  important  of  them. 

One  preliminary  remark  must 
be  made.  There  are  notable 
differences  between  the  monuments  of  Chiapas  and  those 
of  Yucatan.  "  The  mode  of  construction  of  Palenque," 
says  M.  Viollet-le-Duc,  "  did  not  consist,  as  at  Chichen-Itza, 
or  Uxmal,  in  facings  of  dressed  stone  in  front  of  cyclopean 
masonry ;  but  in  covering  the  masonry  with  coatings  of 
ornamented  stucco  and  with  large  slabs." 

The  character  of  the  sculpture  at  Palenque  is  far  from 
possessing  the  energy  of  that  met  with  in  the  buildings  of 
Yucatan.  The  types  of  the  persons  represented  differ  yet 
more.     They  have  features  very  dissimilar  to  those  of  the 

'Bancroft,  I.e.,  vol.  IV.,  p.  148. 

^Hatny:    Soc.  of  Geog.,  meeting  of  January  2,  1882. 


Fig.  131. — Head  of  a  monkey  on 
a  pyramid  at  Copan. 


'Ill 


i 


f 


I 


.  { 


334 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


Aryan  race  at  Palenque.  They  sensibly  resemble  it  at 
Chichen-Itza.  Lastly,  it  is  only  in  the  monuments  of  Yuca- 
tan that  we  can  trace  the  influence  of  earlier  construction  in 
wood.' 

*'  Nothing,"  adds  Charnay,  after  his  first  exploration, 
"can  vie  with  the  richness,  grandeur,  and  harmony  of  the 
buildings  of  Uxmal.  It  is  not  improbable  that  the  founders 
of  the  ancient  towns  of  Yucatan  were  descended  from  the 
inhabitants  of  Palenque,  or  at  least  that  their  civilization 
grew  out  of  that  much  more  ancient  one." 


Fig.  132. — Fragment  found  near  ihe  temple  of  Copan. 

To  these  very  just  remarks  we  must  add,  that  at  Copan 
these  differences  can  already  be  established.  The  sculp- 
tures, and  the  ornaments  covering  them,  differ  from  those 
of  Palenque,  and  more  nearly  approach  those  we  are  about 
to  describe  at  Uxmal  and  at  Chichen-Itza.  Here,  then,  we 
have  the  point  of  union  between  two  modes  of  structure, 
which  differ  in  appearance  alone. 

The  origin  of  the  name  of  Uxmal  is  unknown.  The  ruins 
are  about  thirty-five  miles  from  Merida,  and  cover  a  consid- 

'  Viollet-le-Duc,  Int.,  p.  97,  after  Charnay:  "Cites  et  Ruines  Ameii- 
caines."  We  must  say,  however,  in  regard  to  the  reference  he  makes  to  tlie 
Aryans,  that  so  far  there  is  nothing  to  justify  any  one  in  connecting  the  Aryan 
with  the  American  races. 


THE  KUIXS  OF  CliNTA'AL   AMERICA. 


33S 


crable  area.'  The  Casa  del  Gobertiador  {^g.  133),  the  most 
remarkable  of  all,  rises  from  a  natural  eminence  artificially 
enlarged  by  means  of  rubble  masonry,  and  cut  by  three  suc- 
cessive terraces ;  the  walls  arc  of  rough  stone,  cemented 
with  very  hard  mortar.  The  Casa  itself  is  three  hundred 
and  twenty-two  feet  long  by  thirty-nine  wide  and  about 
twenty-six  high.  The  interior  includes  a  double  corridor, 
the  section  of  which  recalls  that  which  we  have  described  at 
Palenque  (fig.  125),  and  several  rooms  of  very  varying  di- 
mensions. The  walls  of  these  rooms  are  of  rough  stone, 
without  traces  of  painting  or  sculpture  ;  in  one  or  two  places 
only  are  there  traces  of  plaster.  The  doors  were  surrounded 
with  lintels  of  sapotilla  wood,  and  one  of  these  lintels,  cov- 
ered with  finely  under-cut  ornaments,  is  in  the  National 
Museum  at  Washington. 

All  the  richness  of  ornamentation  was  reserved  for  the 
external  walls.  At  about  one  third  of  the  height  a  frieze 
runs  round  the  building,  presenting  a  series  of  curved  lines, 
arabesques,  and  ornaments  of  every  kind  of  execution,  as 
capricious  as  it  is  grotesque.'  Amongst  these  ornaments 
Greek  frets  are  prominent;  this  type  of  ornament,  so  com- 
mon for  centuries  in  Europe,  furnishes  yet  another  proof  of 
the  similarity  of  the  genius  of  man,  everywhere  and  at  all 
times,  as  manifested  in  the  least  important  of  his  works. 

Amongst  these  ornaments  some  elephant-trunks  are  sup- 
posed to  have  been  made  out ;  this  would  be  a  curious  fact,' 
if  true,  for  the  elephant  was  certainly  not  living  in  America 
at  the  time  of  the  erection  of  the  monuments  of  Uxmal. 
His  memory  must  then  have  been  preserved  in  a  permanent 
tradition,  and  it  is  possible  that  this  may  turn  out  to  be  an 

'  VValdeck  :  "  Voy.  pittoresque  et  arch,  dans  la  Prov.  de  Yucatan,"  foL, 
Paris,  1838.  Norman:  "  Rambles  in  Yucatan,"  New  York,  1843.  Baron  von 
Friederickstahl :  "  Les  Monuments  du  Yucatan,"  1841.  Charnay  :  "  Cite's  et 
Ruines  Americaines,"  Paris,  1S63.  Bancroft:  "Native  Races,"  vol.  IV.,  p. 
149.     Short  :    "  North  Americans  of  Antiquity,"  p.  347. 

*  Brasseur  de  Bourbourg  :  "  Hist,  des  Nat.  Civ.  du  Mexique  et  de  I'Am. 
Centrale,"  vol.  II.,  p.  23. 

'  We  meet  with  this  ornament  at  the  Casa  Grande  of  Zaya,  at  a  short  distance, 
from  Uxmal.     It  is  possible  that  the  sculptures  may  relate  to  the  tapir. 


.^A.M 


t    I' 


nml 


ii 


;  ■  ^  "h 


Ml;!' 

i!1  "  ■   - 


|H. 


33^> 


PRE-llISTORlC  AMERICA. 


iiulicMtion  of  the  Asiatic  orii^in  of  tin;  civilization  under 
notice. 

Other  animals  also  served  as  models  to  the  workmen  ;  at 
the  Casa  dc  Tortuguas  the  decoration  consists  of  an  imitation 
of  j)alisades  formed  of  round  wooden  posts.  Tortoises  in 
relief  are  the  sole  interruption  to  the  horizontal  line  of  the 
upper  frieze. 

In  front  of  the  palace,  a  round  stone  several  yards  high, 


1 1 


■srs 


Fig.    133. — Casa  del  Gobernador,  Uxmal. 

without  ornaments,  without  even  a  trace  of  human  workman- 
ship, rises  like  a  column  ;  other  similar  stones  were  erected 
in  various  parts  of  the  town.  Some  think  these  are  ph;i  'Ir 
emblems,  and  hence  conclude  that  the  ancient  peo 
Yucatan  were  devotees  of  the  phallic  cultus.  But  Bi  ur 
de  Bourbourg  (/.  c,  vol.  IV.,  p.  67)  tells  us  that  the  n.i.  >  ''s 
call  these  stone /iVtf/w  and  think  they  were  intended  to  be 


THE  KUINS  OF  CENTRAL   AMERICA, 


337 


used  as  whipping-posts.  Would  it  not  be  more  natural 
to  look  upon  these  stones  as  gnomons,  similar  to  those  we 
shall  have  to  describe  later  in  speaking  of  the  monuments 
of  Peru  ? 

The  Casa  dc  Monjas  is  looked  upon  as  the  most  remark- 
able building  of  Central  America.  It  presents  considerable 
resemblance  with  the  Casa  del  Gobcrnador.  Here  too  we  see 
the  traditional  mound,  surmounted  by  a  platform,  on  which 
rise  four  different  buildings  surrounding  a  court.'  These 
buildings  contain  eighty-eight  rather  small  rooms,  at  regular 
intervals,  reminding  us  of  the  pueblos  of  New  Mexico.  The 
inside  walls  are  bare  and  doors  are  altogether  wanting.  It 
is  evident  that  the  inhabitants,  protected  by  their  poverty, 
or  perhaps  by  the  sanctity  of  the  spot,  lived  in  complete 
security. 

The  outer  walls  are  adorned  with  a  vast  frieze  in  which 
the  grandeur  and  originality  of  native  art  arc  alike  displayed. 
"Every  alternate  door"  says  Charnay  (p.  364),  "is  sur- 
rounded by  a  niche  of  marvellous  workmanship  ;  these  were 
to  be  occupied  by  statues.  As  for  the  frieze  itself,  it  is 
a  remarkable  collection  of  pavillions  in  which  curious  figures 
of  idols  grow,  as  if  by  accident,  out  of  the  arrangement 
of  .stones,  and  remind  us  of  the  enormous  sculptured  heads 
of  the  palace  of  Chichen-Itza  ;  finely  executed  curved  bands  in 
stone  serve  as  frames  to  them,  and  vaguely  suggest  hiero- 
glyphic characters  ;  then  follows  a  succession  of  Greek  frets 
of  large  size,  alternating  at  the  angles  with  squares  and 
little  rosettes  of  admirable  finish."  It  is  estimated  that  all 
these  sculptures  cover  an  area  of  twenty-four  thousand 
square  feet ;  no  two  are  alike,  and  the  artist  has  everywhere 
been  able  to  give  free  scope  to  his  imagination. 

The  western  building  is  the  most  remarkable  of  this  col- 
lection of  structures  but  unfortunately  a  great  part  of  it  has 
crumbled  away.     The    left    wing,    Casa  dc  la  Cidcbra,  still 

'  The  measurements  of  these  buildings  given  by  different  explorers  differ  con- 
siderably among  themselves.  Bancroft  (vol.  IV.,  p.  174)  gives  them  all.  We 
refer  the  reader  to  him. 


!'('  'I 


,    t 


i 

[■nil 


33« 


PRE-HIS TORIC  AMERICA. 


standing,  represents  a  huge  rattlesnake,  running  all  along 
tlic  (acade,  the  interlacing  coils  of  its  body  serving  as  frames 
tt)  different  panels.' 

The  northern  building,  rising  from  a  platform  about  twenty 
feet  high,  dominates  the  whole  court."  It  was  surrounded  by 
thirteen  towers,  each  seventeen  feet  in  height,  loaded  with 
ornaments.  Of  these  towers  four  only  were  still  standing  at 
the  time  of  Stephens'  visit.  On  these  towers  two  figures 
were  noticed  exhibiting  priapism  ;  tins  fact  woukl  tend 
to  confirm  the  existence  of  the  phallic  cultus  at  Uxmal. 

In  some  places,  better  protected  against  the  inclemency 
of  the  weather,  traces  have  been  made  out  of  pictures  drawn 
with  a  rich  and  brilliant  red.^ 

The  purpose  of  the  Casa  dc  Monjas  is  quite  unknown.  It 
has,  however,  been  supposed  that  it  was  the  residence  of 
Ma}a  virgins,  who,  like  the  Roman  vestals  or  the  Peruvian 
Mamacunas,  kept  up  the  sacred  fire.  There  is  notiiing 
either  to  confirm  or  to  contradict  this  idea.  Amongst  the 
other  buildings  of  Uxm^il,  we  will  mention  the  Casa  del  Adi- 
viiio,  with  the  outer  walls  painted  in  different  colors,  rising 
from  a  pyramid  eighty-eight  feet  high,  and  built  of  rubble 
set  in  mortar.  The  Casa  del  Eiiaito,  or  "house  of  the 
dwarf,"  says  Charnay,  "consists  of  a  structure  with  two  in- 
ner rooms  and  a  sort  of  chapel  below.  This  little  piece  is 
chiselled  like  a  jewel."  Waldeck  (p.  96)  says  it  is  a  master- 
l)iece  of  art  and  elegance.  "  Loaded  with  ornaments  more 
rich,  nunc  elaborate  and  carefully  executed  han  those  of 
any  other  edifice  in  Uxmal."  *  Besides  these  there  are 
the  ToIokJi-cis,  or  holy  mountain,  and  the  Kingsborough 
pyramid.  At  a  short  distance  from  the  town  are  other  ruins, 
dating  probably  from  ihe  same  jieriod,  of  the  same  style  of 
architecture,  and  rising  invariab.y  from  mounds  which  form 
a  lower  platform.  This  was  evidently  a  general  custom,  and 
extended  from  the  temple  of  the  gods  to  the  chief's  houses. 

'Charnay,  /.  c,  p.  367. 
'Waldeck,  /.<-.,  pi.,  XIII  and  XVIII. 
'Stephens;  "  Yucatan,"  vol,  II.,  i..  30. 
*  Stephens  :  "Yucatan,"  vol.  1.,  ]>.  313 


J 


THE  RUINS  OF  CENTRAL  AMERICA. 


339 


In  describing  the  shell-heaps,  mounds,  and  cliff-dwcIlings, 
we  had  frequent  occasion  to  speak  of  the  stone  or  bone  in- 
struments or  fragments  of  pottery  bearing  witness  to  the 
presence  of  man.  We  have  no  similar  discovery  to  relate, 
either  at  Palenque,  Copan,  Uxmal,  or  the  other  towns  of 
which  w^e  shall  have  to  speak,  and  the  excavations  hitherto 
made  have  only  yielded  a  few  flints  and  still  fewer  fragments 


Fli;.   134.— Portioi  ;il  Kahah. 

of  pottery.  It  is,  however,  impossible  that  such  monuments 
could  have  been  created  without  an  important  population 
and  a  long  residence.  Why  have  the  weapons,  imi)Iements, 
and  vases  disappeared.?  Why  do  the  graves  of  the  builders 
of  the  monuments  render  up  none  of  their  bones  ?  No  re- 
ply is  as  yet  possible  ;  we  can  but  collect  facts,  leaving  those 
who  shall  come  after  us  the  task  of  drawing  conclusions  from 


340 


PRE-IIISTORIC  AMERICA. 


V 


'/,; 


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% 


them.  It  is  likely,  however,  that  the  mere  rubbish  heaps 
might,  as  ir  civilized  cities,  have  been  removed  to  a  distance 
for  sanitary  reasons.  VVc  must  recollect  that  the  ruins  of 
an  ordinary  town  would  yield  few  weapons  or  implements 
to  an  excavator  five  centuries  hence. 

The  ruins  of  Kabah  and  Labna,  very  near  those  of  Ux- 
mal,  deserve  a  moment's  attention.  At  Kabah  a  pyramid 
measuring  l8o  square  feet  at  the  base,  and  a  portico  (iig.  134) 
recalling  a  Roman  structure,  rise  before  the  traveller.  How 
did  this  souvenir  of  ancient  Rome  come  to  be  in  the  midst 
of  a  solitude  in  the  New  World  ?  And  how  can  we  help  ad- 
miring the  marvellous  unity  of  the  genius  of  man,  leading 
him  constantly  to  arrive  at  identical  results  ?  We  can  never 
weary  of  calling  attention  to  this.  It  is  one  of  the  chief  in- 
terests of  our  study.' 

The  buildings  of  Labna  were  no  less  remarkable  than  those 
of  Uxmal ;  but  unfortunately  they  are  in  a  state  of  ex- 
treme decay."  The  chief  building  was  covered  with  stucco 
ornaments,  which  are  breaking  off  and  rapidly  disappearing. 
One  can  still  make  out  a  row  of  skulls,  some  bas-reliefs 
representing  human  figures,  and  a  globe  of  considerable  di- 
ameter upheld  by  two  men,  one  of  whom  is  kneeling. 
All  these  figures  retain  some  traces  of  color. 

At  Zayi,  the  Casa  Grande  has  three  stories,  each 
smaller  than  the  one  below  it ;  the  first  measures  265 
feet  by  120;  the  second,  220  by  60;  the  third,  150  by 
18.  A  staircase  thirty-two  feet  wide,  and  somewhat  like 
those  met  with  in  various  parts  of  Yucatan,  leads  up  to 
the  third  story. 

Chichen-Itza,  one  of  the  few  towns  which  has  preserved 
its  ancient  Maya  name,  from  chichen,  opening  of  a  well,  and 
It^a,  one  of  the  chief  branches  of  the  Maya  race,  was  a 
dependency  of  the  Mayapan  confederacy.     On  the  destruc- 

'  Stephens,  loc.  cit.,  vol.  I.,  p.  39S.  Baldwin:  "Ancient  America,"  New 
York,  1872,  p.  139. 

"  Stephens,  loc.  cit.,  vol.  II.,  p.  16  :  "  The  summits  of  the  neighboring  hills 
are  napped  with  gray,  broken  walls  for  many  luiles  around."  Norman  :  "  Ram- 
bles in  Yucatan,"  p.  150. 


, 


IP 


^eui 


iC^ 


THE   HUINS  OF  CENTRAL   AMERICA. 


341 


d 

a 
c- 

lew 

liUs 
km- 


tion  of  the  latter  in  tlie  fifteenth  century,  it  managed  to 
maintain  its  independence,  and  it  was  not  until  two  centuries 
after  the  conquest,  on  the  13th  of  March,  1697,  that  it  was 
taken  by  the  Spanish  and  given  over  to  pillage  ;  from  this 
period  dates  its  complete  destruction.' 

Over  an  area  of  several  miles  we  see  nothing  but  artificial 
mounds,  overturned  columns,  of  which  no  less  than  480 
bases  have  been  counted,  broken  sculptures,  rude  colon- 
nades, the  length  of  which  astonishes  us,  and  masses  of 
rubbish,  the  last  form  assumed  by  the  monuments  that 
man,  in  his  pride,  thought  he  had  built  for  eternity. 
Chichen  was  one  of  the  chief  religious  centres  of  Yucatan  ; 
hence  its  importance  and  the  number  and  magnificence  of 
its  temples  and  buildings.'  Amongst  those  still  standing, 
we  may  mention  the  circus,  castle,  palace  of  the  nuns,  the 
Caracol  or  sjjiral  staircase,  and  the  Chichanchob,  or  the  Red 
house,  as  they  are  now  called. 

The  circus  was  probably  nothing  but  a  gymnasium,  in 
which  the  young  men  met  for  trials  of  strength,  skill,  and 
agilit)'.  The  monument  formerly  included  two  parallel 
pyramids,  extending  about  350  feet.  That  on  the  left,  still 
well  preserved,  is  covered  with  paintings.  These  represent 
processi(5ns  of  warriors  or  of  priests,  some  carrying  weapons  ; 
some  offerings  ;  they  have  black  beards,  and  they  wear 
strange  head-dresses  on  their  heads,  and  wide  tunics  on  their 
shoulders.  The  colors  employed  are  black,  red,  yellow,  and 
white.  The  bas-reliefs  are  remarkable  ;  all  the  faces  are  of 
the  present  Yucatan  type,  a*  >)  contrast  strongly  with  the 
pointed  heads  and  retreating  foreheads  represented  at 
Palenque,  and  which  are  said  to  be  still  met  with  amongst 
the  inferior  mountain  races. 


'  Lamia,  Bishop  of  Merida,  who  died  in  1570  :  "  Relacion  de  las  Cosas  de 
Yucatan,"  p.  340.  Friedrickstahl  :  "  Nouv.  Aniiales  ties  Voyages,"  1841,  p. 
300,^/  scq.  Stephens:  "  Yiuiatan,"  vol.  II.,  p.  2S2.  Norman:  "Rambles 
in  Yucatan,"  p.  104.  Charnay,  /.  r. ,  p.  339.  Baron  Friederichstahl  vi.sited  the 
ruins  in  1840,  .Stephens  and  Norman  in  1842,  Charnay,  in  1858. 

'  "  A  city  which  I  hazard  liiile  in  saying  must  have  been  one  of  the  largest 
the  world  has  over  seen."     Norman:   "  Rambles,"  p.  108. 


il 


■■(:'! 


342 


PRE-IIISTORIC  AMERICA. 


The  palace  of  the  nuns  rests  upon  a  base  of  masonry  32 
feet  high,  and  160  by  112  wide.  The  building,  which  is 
reached  by  a  wide  staircase,  was  two  stories  high  ;  the  walls 
arc  ornamented  with  rich  sculptures,  similar  to  those  of 
Uxmal,  and  the  door  has  an  ornamentation  of  stone  tur- 
rets, which  we  cannot  better  compare  than  with  Chinese  or 
Japanese  structures.  A  protestant  missionary,  Hardy,  has 
("Indian  Monachism,"  p.  122)  called  attention  to  the  resem- 
blance between  the  buildings  of  Chichen  and  the  topes  or 
dagobas  of  the  Buddhists. 


Fig.  135. — Jamb  orriiiment  of  a  door  of  the  castle  at  Chichen-Itza. 

Inside  is  a  room  forty-seven  feet  long,  with  walls  coated 
with  plaster,  on  which  can  be  made  out,  though  they  have 
suffered  greatly  from  damp,  some  men  crowned  with 
feathers. 

The  name  of  castle  has  been  given  to  a  pyramid  the  base 
of  which  measures  197  feet  by  202.  Its  height  is  75  feet, 
and  it  ends  in  a  pLttforrn  reached  by  a  staircase,  enclosed  by 
a  balustrade,  covered  with  serpents'  heads ;  from  this  plat- 
form rises  a  building  49  feet  by  43,  the  chief  door  of  which 
faces  northward.     The  jambs  of  this  door  are  of  stone  and 


w-A 


THE  RUINS  OF  CENTRAL  AMERICA. 


343 


covered  with  sculptures.  We  reproduce  one  of  these  bas- 
reliefs  (fig.  135),  which  may  give  an  idea  of  the  face  and  the 
head-dress  of  the  inhabitants.  The  ornament  fastened  to  the 
nose  is  particularly  characteristic.  The  internal  arrange- 
ment, of  which  the  ground-plan  (fig.  136)  enables  us  to 
judge,  differs  from  any  thing  we  have  yet  noticed. 

The  Chichanchob,'  or  Red  house,  (fig.  137)  is  the  best-pre- 
served monument  of  Chichen.  It  includes  only  one  dwell- 
ing, placed  on  a  pyramid  of  moderate  height,  with  three 
doors  facing  west,  lighting  a  gallery  of  the  same  height  as 
the  structure.  This  gallery  gives  access  to  three  rooms 
which  are  only  lighted  through  their  doors.  Charnay,  who 
mentions  this,  adds  that  he 
has  never  noticed  any  win- 
dows in  the  numerous  ruins 
of  Yucatan  visited  by  him. 

The  Caracol  is  a  circular 
building  only  twenty-two  feet 
in  diameter.  The  inside  re- 
calls the  estufas  met  with 
among  the  Cliff  Dwellers,  and 
consists  of  a  mass  of  masonry 
with  a  very  narrow  double 
corridor.  The  building  rises 
from  two  artificial  terraces 
placed   one   upon  the  other. 


Fig.  136. — Ground  plan  of  tlie  castle 
of  Cliiclien-Itza.  a,  square  pillars 
in  the  centre  of  the  principal  room. 
*,  columns  supporting  the  northern 
door. 


The  lower  terrace,  according  to  Stephens,  measures  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty-three  feet  by  one  hundred  and  fifty,  the  up- 
per terrace  thirty  feet  by  fifty-five.  A  flight  of  twenty  steps, 
forty-five  feet  in  length,  leads  from  the  first  to  the  second, 
and  is  ornamented  with  a  balustrade  which  represents  inter- 
laced serpents.  The  serpent  plays  an  important  part  in  the 
architecture  of  Chichen-ltza.  We  meet  it  at  every  turn,  and 
it  is  not  difficult  to  see  in  it  a  religious  symbol. 

We  cannot  exaggerate  the  richness  of  the  sculptures ;  the 

'  We  do  not   know   why   the   Indians   give   to   this   building  the  name  of 
la  Car-eel,  the  prison. 


,* 


I  v''  m 


344 


PRE-IIISTORIC  AMERICA. 


church  built  for  the  Indians  is  filled  with  bas-reliefs  taken 
from  these  ruins.  The  paintings  are  even  more  numerous 
than  the  sculptures;  everywhere  can  be  made  out  long  pro- 
cessions of  men  and  animals,  defiles,  battles,  struggles  be- 
tween a  man  and  a  tiger  or  a  serpent,  trees,  houses.'  One 
of  these  pali  tings  on  the  walls  of  the  circus  represents 
a  boat  somewhat  resembling  a  Chinese  junk,  and  is  the  only 
example  thus  far  known  of  the  mode  of  navigation  of  these 
ancient  people.  Stephens  says,  speaking  of  this  boat,  "  that 
it  is  the  greatest  gem  of  aboriginal  art  which,  on  the  whole 
continent  of  America,  now  survives." 


"-{.■ulU'l* 


Fig.  137. — Chichanchob  at  Chidien-Itza. 

Nor  are  hieroglyphics  wanting.  In  form  they  resemble 
those  of  Copan.  Like  the  latter  they  are  still  undeciphered, 
and  we  know  of  but  one  exception,  which  we  quote  with  all 
due  reserviition,  and  then  only  since  it  has  been  published  by 
the  authority  of  an  important  scientific  body,  the  American 
Antiquarian  Society." 

'  Stcpliens  :  "Yucatan,"  vol.  II.,  pp.  303,  305. 

"Salisbury:  "The  Maya.s,  the  Sources  of  their  History,"  Worcester,  1S7;. 
"Maya  Arch.,"  Worcester,  1879.  .Short:  "North  Americans,"  pp.  396. 
et  seq.  Letter  of  Dr.  I.e  Plongeon,  of  Jan.  15,  1878.  Proc.  Am.  Antiq.  Soc, 
Oct.  21,  187S. 


!1 


THE   RUINS   OF  CENTRAL   AMERICA. 


345 


Before  relating  this  discovery  it  will  be  well  to  tell 
the  le<;end  on  which  it  is  founded.  Chaak  Mool,  also  known 
under  the  name  of  Balain,  the  tiger  chief,  was  one  of  three 
brothers  who  shared  between  them  the  government  of 
Yucatan.  He  had  married  Kinich  Katmo,  a  woman  of 
marvellous  beauty,  who  inspired  Aak,  one  of  lier  brothers-in- 


Fig.  138. — Bas-relief  found  by  Dr.  Le  I'longeon  at  Chichen-Itza. 

law,  with  ardent  love.  Tliis  Aak,  to  obtain  her  hand, 
did  not  hesitate  to  have  her  hi'sband  assassinated  ;  but 
Kinich  remained  faithful  to  the  memory  of  Chaak,  and 
her  conjugal  piety  led  her  to  have  his  statue  made,  and 
to  adorn  her  palace  with  ])aintings  representing  the  chief 
events  in  his  life  and  the  sad  scene  of  his  death.     In   one  of 


Ifil 


H 


If  ' 


346 


PRE.IIISTORIC  AMERICA. 


these  paintings  Aak  holds  in  his  hand  three  spears,  which 
symbolize  the  three  wounds  inflicted  on  his  brother.  The 
Assyrian  type  is  supposed  by  some  to  be  recognizable  in  the 
three  personages  who  arc  represented  three  quarters  of  the 
size  of  life.  Beside  them  we  see  three  tall  men,  with 
rather  small  heads,  thick  lips,  and  woolly  hair,  in  which  some 
see  examples  of  the  negro  type. 

Dr.  Le  Plongeon,  who  visited  the  ruins  of  Chichen-Itza 
in  1875  tells  us  that  he  succeeded  in  deciphering  part  of  the 
hieroglyphics  accompanying  the  figures;  from  which  he 
learned  that  the  tomb  of  Chaak  Mool  was  to  be  found  at  a 


i   V  > 


F"  \ 


% 


i  i^  i 


Fig.  139. — Statue  of  Chaak  Mool,  found  at  Chichen-Itza. 

place  pointed  out,  about  435  yards  from  the  palace.  Ex- 
cavations were  undertaken,  and  succcessively  brought  to 
light  several  bas-reliefs,  representing  feline  animals  or  birds 
of  prey  (fig.  138);  a  figure  in  the  form  of  a  tiger  with  a 
human  face ;  about  twenty  feet  lower  down  a  stone  urn, 
with  a  terra-cotta  lid,  filled  with  ashes  which  no  one  seems 
to  have  thought  of  analyzing;  and  lastly  the  statue  of  a  man 
reclining  upon  a  sepulchral  stone  (fig.  139).  The  type  of 
the  face,  the  costume,  the  head-dress,  do  not  resemble  those 
seen,  either  at  Chichen-Itza  or  in  the  other  towns  of  Yuca- 
tan ;  and  to  specify  one  point  only,  the  sandals  are  like  those 


THE  RUINS  OF  CENTRAL  AMERICA. 


347 


found  on  the  feet  of  the  Guancho  mummies  of  the  Canary 
Islands. 

Dr.  Le  Plongeon  was  not  to  reap  the  fortunate  result  of  his 
excavations ;  the  Mexican  Government  took  possession  of 
the  statue,  which  is  now  in  the  National  Museum  of  Mexico. 

This  is  not  an  isolated  discovery  ;  several  similar  statues 
arc  known,  one  of  which,  also  part  of  the  collections 
of  the  National  Museum,  was  found  in  Mexico  itself; 
another  comes  from  Tlascala ;  and  a  smaller  Chaak  Mool 
from  Mcrida.  This  recurrence  of  the  same  figure  at 
different  places,  at  a  distance  from  each  other,  leads 
us  to  suppose  that  it  represents  not  a  legendary  king  of 
Chichcn-Itza,  but  an  as  yet  unknown  divinity.  This  is 
Charnay's  feeling.  "  The  statue  of  Yucatan,"  he  tells  us, 
"  cannot  represent  a  king,  for  it  is  impossible  to  admit  that 
a  king  of  Yucatan  was  venerated  as  a  god  at  Mexico  or  at 
Tlascala."  " 

Man\-  p;igcs  would  be  required  to  describe  all  the  innumer- 
able ruins  covering  Yucatan";  worthy  of  mention  is  a 
gigantic  head,  the  Cam  Gigantcsca  (fig.  140)  which  is  re- 
markable for  its  expression  ;  it  is  made  of  a  kind  of  coarse 
rubble  masonry,  the  blocks  of  which  have  been  skilfully 
turned  to  account  by  the  sculptor  in  forming  the  cheeks, 
mouth,  nose,  and  eyes  ;  the  head  has  been  finished  in  a 
stucco  so  hard  as  to  have  lasted  for  centuries.  This  head  is 
seven  feet  high.  Charnay  mentions  another,  of  the  same 
Cyclopean  character,  surrounded  by  strange  ornaments ;  it  is 
larger  than  the  one  we  reproduce,  being  twelve  feet  high. 
In  a  second  journey  Charnay  discovered  a  bas-relief,  which 
he  characterizes  as  more  beautiful  than  any  that   have  as 


'  Letter  from  the  Rev.  John  Butler,  of  the  loth  of  October,  1878.  Butler 
looks  upon  the  statue  found  at  Mexico  as  more  ancient  than  those  of  Chichen  ; 
but  as  he  does  not  give  the  grounds  for  his  opinion,  we  cannot  do  more  than 
quote  it.     See  also  Short,  /.  c,  p.  399.     Revue  d' Ethnographic,  vol.  I.,  p.  163. 

"^  Revue  d^ Ethnographic,  vol.  I.,  p.  167. 

'  We  should  perhaps  mention  Ake,  with  its  cyclopean  walls,  made  of  huge 
blocks  of  rough  stone,  which  Stephens,  one  of  the  few  explorers  who  have 
visited  tliem,  considers  the  most  ancient  ruius  of  the  district.  ("  Yucatan,"  vol. 
I.,  p.  127. 


If 


348 


PRE-IIIS  TORIC  A  M ERICA . 


t,  :'  I  . 


I* 


Pi' 


if  \ 


I 


'31 


1 


1 


yet  been  found.  The  chief  subject,  unfortunately  damaged, 
represents  a  feline  animal  with  a  human  head,  perfectly 
modelled.  On  the  left  of  the  animal  are  some  grotesque 
decorations,  reminding  us  of  the  ornaments  of  Palenqueand 
Uxmal.'  The  head  figured  was  discovered  at  Izamal,  one 
of  the  sacred  towns  of  Yucatan,  where  Zamna,  the  compan- 
ion and  disciple  of  Votan,  is  said  to  be  buried.  According 
to  the  accounts  of  the  Indians,  the  prophet  Zamna  was 
buried  beneath  several   pyramids.     That  on  the  northeast 


I''lG.  140. — Caia  Giganlesca  fouiitl  at  Izamal. 

{Kab-iil,  the  industrious  hand)  contains  his  right  hand. 
The  head  is  buried  beneath  the  norther"  pyramid  {Kitiich- 
Kaknio  the  sun  with  rays  of  fire).  The  heart  is  beneath  the 
third,  from  which  now  rises  a  church  and  Franciscan  convent. 
This  pyramid  is  called  Ppapp-hol-chak,  the  house  of  heads 
and  lightnings. 

It  is  to  Zamna  that  the  Yucatccs  ascribed  all  their  pro- 
gress ;  tradition  attributes  to  him  the  invention  of  hiero- 
glyphic writing,  and  he  was  the  first  to  teach  the  people  to 
give  a  name  to  men  and  to  things. 


'  Letter  from  Merida  of  the  28th,  Jan.  1SS2.    Rev.  tVEthn.,  vol.  I.,  p.  160. 


THE  RUINS  OF  CENTRAL   AMERICA. 


349 


Besides  the  Cara  Gigantesca,  Izamal  possesses  several 
pyramids.  One  of  them  is  from  700  to  800  feet  long,  and 
contains,  like  the  pyramids  of  Egypt,  several  chambers ; 
it  is  considered  the  most  important  building  in  the  district.' 
These  pyramids  are  rapidly  disappearing;  Bishop  Landa' 
counted  eleven  or  twelve  at  the  time  of  the  conquest, 
and  even  then  the  temples  crowning  them  were  in  ruins. 

The  accounts  of  Spanish  historians'  leave  no  doubt  of 
the  existence  of  roads,  made  for  the  convenience  of  travel- 
lers, and  above  all  to  give  access  to  the  religious  centres. 
Some  of  them  extended  beyond  the  limits  of  Yucatan, 
and  stretched  into  the  neighboring  kingdoms  of  Guate- 
mala, Chiapas,  and  Tabasco.  Some  of  these  roads  were 
paved  ;  such  were  the  Calzadas  spoken  of  by  CogoUudo  and 
Bishop  Landa,  which  led  to  Chichen-Itza,  Uxmal,  Izamal, 
and  to  Tihoo,  the  ruins  of  which  have  been  used  to  build  the 
modern  town  of  Merida.  These  last  highways  measure 
from  between  seven  and  eight  yards-  in  width ;  they  are 
made  of  blocks  of  stone,  covered  with  very  well-preserved 
mortar  and  a  layer  of  cement  about  two  inches  thick.  The 
rivers  were  spanned  by  bridges  of  masonry ;  Clavigcro,*  who 
traversed  the  whole  of  Mexico  during  the  last  century,  speaks 
of  having  seen  still  standing,  in  many  places,  the  massive  piers 
intended  to  support  them. 

We  will  close  what  we  have  to  say  of  the  Maya  monu- 
ments with  one  general  observation  :  Their  number  and 
their  dimensions,  the  taste  governing  their  design  and  the 
richness  of  their  ornamentation,  strike  even  the  most  super- 
ficial observer.  The  progress  made  by  these  little  known 
races  in  ceramic  art,  the  manufacture  of  textile  fabrics  and 
embroidery,  and  all  the  technical  or  industrial  arts  is  not  less 
remarkable. 

There  is  no  doubt  that,  at  the  time  of   the  arrival  of  the 


II 


'  Stephens  :  "Yucatan,"  vol.  II.,  p.  434. 
'  "  Relacion  de  las  cosas  de  Yucatan,"  p.  326. 

'  Landa,  /.  c,  p.  344.    Cogolludo  :  "  Hist,  de  Yucatan,"  p.  193.     Chamay 
'"  Cites  et  Ruines  Americaines,"  p.  321. 

*  "Storia  antica  del  Messico,"  vol.  II.,  p.  371. 


!:ii 


It' 


ill 


,» I 


!  .1 


Li  i 


350 


PRE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


Spaniards,  the  Indians  were  in  some  respects  superior  to  the 
Conquistadores ;  but  the  latter  had  iiorses  and  gunpowder, 
and  were,  moreover,  endowed  with  a  superior  energy.  The 
Indians  succumbed  in  an  unequal  struggle,  and  rapidly  bi 
came  the  prey  of  the  nwiricious  strangers,  incapable  even  of 
understanding  the  culuire  they  were  about  to  destroy. 

The  buildings  erected  by  the  Nahuas  were,  according  to 
historians,  more  important  than  those  of  the  Mayas.  We 
have  described  the  courts  of'  the  rulers  of  Tenotchitlan  and 
Tczcuco  :  thcirdwellings  probably  corresponded  with  the  mag- 
nificence of  their  temples,  but  have  perished.  The  rage  of 
the  Spaniards,  irritated  as  they  were  by  an  unexpected  re- 
sistance, together  with  the  gloomy  fanaticism  of  the  priests 
and  monks  accompanying  the  army,  "vere  the  chief  causes  of 
a  destruction  for  ever  irreparable.  The  ruins  that  still  re- 
main standing,  sole  witnesses  of  the  past,  add  to  our  regrets. 
It  would  be  impossible  to  describe  or  even  to  enumerate 
them  all.  We  therefore  select  from  them  such  as  may  serve 
as  a  type  of  Nahuatl  architecture,  and  best  help  us  to  un- 
derstand the  manners  and  religion  of  the  Nahuas. 

The  pyramid  of  Cholula'  is  situated  in  a  miserable  village, 
about  ten  miles  from  Puebla  <le  los  Angeles.  A  magnificent 
temple,  dedicated  according  to  some  to  the  sun,  according 
to  others  to  Ouetzacoatl,  rose  from  the  platform  crowning 
the  pyramid,  but  it  was  entirely  destroyed  by  Cortes,  after  a 
battle  which  took  place  at  the  very  foot  of  the  monument. 
The  pyramid  still  standing  measures  1,440  feet  square,  and 
covers  an  area  nearly  double  the  extent  of  that  of  the  great 
pyramid  of  Cheops  ;  its  height,  according  to  Humboldt,  was 
177  feet,'  and  the  summit  was  reached   by  four  successive 

'  Humboldt,  "  Essai  pol.  sur  le  roy.  de  la  Nouvelle  Espagne,"  Paris,  181 1, 
p.  239,  and  "  Vues  des  Cordill^res,"  Paris,  1S16,  p.  96.  Dupaix  :  "  Prem. 
Exp."  Kingsborough,  vol.  V.  and  VI.  Jones:  "  Smith.  Cont.,"  vol.  XXII. 
Clavigero:  "  St.  Ant.  del  Messico,"  vol.  II.,  p.  33.  Clavigero  visited  Cholula 
in  1744  ;  Humboldt,  in  1803.  Bancroft  (vol.  IV.,  p.  471)  gives  as  usual  a  very 
complete  bibliography. 

'Mayer  ("Mexico  as  it  Was,"  p.  26)  says  204  feet;  Tylor  :  "  Anahuac," 
205  feet. 


TlfE   PEOPLE   OF  CENTRAL   AMERICA. 


351 


terraces.  Here  the  material  employed  was  no  longer  dressed 
stones,  as  in  Yucatan,  but  adobes  about  fifteen  inches  lon^j, 
similar  to  those  employed  by  the  I'ueblo  Indians,  cemented 
with  a  very  hard  mortar  mixed  with  little  stones  and  even 
fragments  of  pottery.  A  German  traveller '  adds  that  the 
four  faces  were  coated  with  a  cement  similar  to  that  in  use 
at  the  present  day. 

Excavations  have  shown  the  regularity  of  the  building, 
and  have  brought  to  light  a  tomb  of  slabs  of  stones,  sup- 
ported by  posts  of  cedar  wood.  Two  skeletons  rested  in 
this  tomb,  and  beside  them  lay  two  basalt  figures,  various  or- 
naments of  little  value,  and  some  fragments  of  pottery. 
The  pyramid  of  Cholula  may  therefore  have  been  a  tomb; 
but  if  so,  its  ostentatious  structure  was  as  powerless  here  as 
in  Egypt  to  preserve  the  bones  of  its  inmates  from  the  profa- 
nation so  much  dreaded.  There  are,  however,  some  doubts 
as  to  the  purpose  of  the  pj-ramid.  The  skeletons  were  not 
placed  in  the  centre  of  the  monument,  into  which  the  ex- 
plorers were  not  able  to  enter.  It  has  therefore  been  sup- 
posed that  they  were  those  of  slaves,  killed  at  the  time  of 
the  erection  of  the  monuments.  W.  liandelier  looks  upon 
the  buildings  of  Cholula  as  having  been  chiefly  defensive 
works." 

According  to  certain  legends,  of  which  traces  are  met  with 
amongst  the  natives,  this  pyramid  was  erected  in  expecta- 
tion of  a  fresh  deluge.  Father  Uuran  gives  another  version ' ; 
that  men,  dazzled  by  the  glory  of  the  sun,  had  tried  to  erect 
a  structure  which  should  reach  up  to  the  firmament  ;  the  in- 
habitants of  heaven,  indignant  at  such  audacity,  destroyed 
the  building  and  dispersed  the  builders. 

Historic  data  are  neither  more  serious  nor  more  precise 
than  legends.  The  dates  of  the  erection  of  the  pj-ramids 
vary  from  the  seventh  to  the  tenth  century  of  our  era. 
Cholula  was  then  an  important  town  in  the  power  of  the 


*  Heller  :    "  Reisen  in  Mexiko,"  Leipzig,  1853,  p.  131. 
'  "  Arch.  Hist,  of  America,"  Nov.,  1S81. 


;  ; 


Hist.    Ant.  de   la   Nueva   EspaBa,"  vol.  I.,  chap.  I.     (The  history  was 
written  about  1585.) 


35- 


rh'/.-l/ISTOKIC  AMERICA. 


\    ' 


W\ 


Toltocs,  so  that  it  is  to  them  that  the  huildiny  uiulcr  notice 
must  l)o  (hic. 

Xochicalco,  scvcnty-fnc  miles  northwest  of  Mexico,  is  cer- 
tainly one  of  the  most  peculiar  monuments  of  the  province.' 

In  the  centre  of  tiie  plain  rises  a  conical  eminence,  the 
base  of  which,  of  oval  form,  is  two  miles  in  circum- 
fi-ren'.e  ami  the  height  of  which  is  variously  estimated 
at  fiom  300  to  400  feet.  'i'wo  tunnels,  pierced  in 
the  n.mk  of  the  hill.  opi.M\  vin  the  north  ;  llie  first  has 
been  penetrated  for  ;i  distance  of  eij^litx-two  feet,  where 
the  explorers  were  oblii;"ed  t(.  turn  back.  The  second 
tumicl  pierces  the  calcareous  mass  of  the  hill,  as  a  gal- 
lery nine  feet  and  a  half  hit;h.  which  extends  by  various 
brani.hi.\s  to  a  leni;th  of  several  hundreu  feet.  A  pavement, 
no  less  th;in  a  foot  and  a  half  thick,  covers  the  t;r()und  ;  the 
sides  are  streni^thened  with  walls  of  masonry,  wherever  such 
works  are  necessary,  then  coated  with  cement  and  painted 
with  reil  ochre.  The  principal  t:;allery  leads  to  a  room 
measuriui^  ciL;h'.y  feet,  ami  the  architects'  practical  knowl- 
edi;e  of  their  art  was  such  that  they  were  able  to  contrive 
two  piers  to  give  more  solidity  to  the  roof.  In  one  of  the 
corners  of  the  room  opens  a  little  rotunda,  six  feet  in  diam- 
eter, excavated,  as  is  the  room  itself,  in  the  rock,  and  of  which 
the  dome,  in  the  form  of  a  pointed  arch,  greatly  struck  the 
first  exjilorers.  who  were  not  at  all  prejjarcd  to  find  in  the 
heart  of  Mexico  a  specimen  of  Gothic  art. 

The  whole  of  the  outsitle  of  the  hill  is  covered  with  a 
re\etmeiit  of  masonry,  forming  five  successive  terraces,  sev- 
enty feet  high,  upheld  by  walls  crowned  with  parapets.  Du- 
paix  relates  that  the  summit  was  reached  by  a  path  eight 

'  Alz.tte  y  Ramirez  visited  Xochicnlco  in  1777,  .ind,  in  1701,  published  a 
very  inexact  account  nf  his  discoveries,  under  the  title  of  "  Descripcion  dc  las 
Aiitiguedailes  dc  Xoclncalco."  Dupaix  and  Castaneda  visited  the  ruins  in 
1S31,  and  the  Revista  Mixicaiia  (vol.  I,,  p.  539)  gives  the  result  of  a  more 
recent  exploration,  made  at  the  cost  of  the  M-xican  Government.  Lastly, 
among  other  explorers,  we  name  :  Humboldt,  '  V'u^;s  des  Cordilleres."  vol.  1., 
p.  98.  Tylor  :  "  Anahuac,"  p.  189.  Nebel  :  "  Viaje  pittoresco  y  arqueo- 
Jogico  sobre  la  rep.   Mejicana." 


THE  RUINS  OF  CENTRAL  AMERICA. 


353 


feet  wide.  The  platform  measures  three  hundred  and 
twenty-ei^ht  feet  by  two  hundred  and  ei^dity-five.  A  tem- 
ple (fi{^.  141)  measuring  sixty-five  feet  from  east  to  west, 
and  fifty-eight  from  north  to  south,  rose  from  this  jjlatform, 
in  honor  of  an  unknown  god  ;  the  building,  which  was  of 
rectangular  form,  was  constructed  of  blocks  of  porphyritic 
granite,'  laid  without  mortar,  and  with  such  art  that  the 
joints  are  scarcely  visible.     It  is  impossible  to  estimate  the 


I'lG.  141.  —  Ruins  of  llie  Icmplc  of  Xochicalco,  Mexico. 

labor  reciuired  to  take  these  blocks  from   a  distant  quarry 
and  place  them  at  the  height  they  occupy. 

In  1755  there  were  five  stories,  one  behind  the  other,  to 
the  temple  ;  it  was  crowned  by  a  stone  which  could  be  used  as 
a  seat,  and  which  was  covered,  as  was  the  rest  of  the  building, 
with  an  ornamentation  which  must  have  been  a-,  difficult  to 

'"Porfinlo  {jranitico,"  AV: /j-Az  Mex.,  vol.  I.,  p.  548.  "  Hasalto  pnrfirico," 
Nebel.  "  Basalt,"  I. owcnstern,  Mex.,  p.  209.  "  La  calidad  de  piedra  de  esta 
magnifica  arquitectura  estde  piedra  vitrificahile,"  Alzatc,  /.  c,  \i.  8. 


k^     \ 


\ 


wM 


I  I 


1; ' 


I 


•,!■ 


354 


PRF.-HISTOKIC  AMERICA. 


■t   , 


execute  as  it  is  to  describe.  An  unfortunately  very  inexact 
model  on  reduced  scale  of  this  monument  figured  in  the  in- 
ternational exhibition  of  1867.  It  was  reproduced  in  the 
Illustrated  London  Ncius,  of  June  i,  1867.  It  is  fair  to  add 
that  the  destruction  of  Xochicalco  is  not  to  be  imputed  to 
the  Spaniards;  the  author  of  this  act  of  vandalism  was  a 
neighboring  land-holder,  who  wanted  to  use  the  stone  for 
building  a  factory. 

The  long  wars  which  desolated  Anahuac,  and  wnich  were 
in  trutli,  the  normal  state  of  the  country,  had  led  to  the 
erection  of  vast  defensive  works,  and  traces  of  these  fortifi- 
cations have  been  made  out  at  Huatusco,  in  the  province  of 
Vera  Cruz,  whence  they  stretched  for  a  very  great  distance 
northward.    Centla  appears  to  have  been  one  of  the  chief  for- 


3 


Fig.  142. — Pyramid  at  Centla. 

tified  places;  ruins  cover  the  plain  ;  but  they  are  gradually  dis- 
appearing, destroyed  by  the  inhabitants.  A  neighboring  for- 
est hides  several  pyramids,  which,  thanks  to  its  protection, 
have  remained  standing.'  We  reproduce  one  of  them,  which 
may  serve  as  a  typ<"  (fig.  142).  The  walls  are  of  dressed 
stone,  cemen^^cd  with 'ime  mortar;  but  lime  was  doubtless 
costly,  and  ail  \.\vi  inside  of  the  wails  is  of  rubble,  laid  in 
clay.  Niches  are  prepared  in  various  places  to  receive  stat- 
ues, or  symbols  of  the  protective  deities. 

These  pyramids  are  certainly  the  most  striking  examples 
of  ancient  American  architecture.  It  is  from  truncated  pyra- 
mids that  the  teocallis  or  palaces  rise  at  Palenque  as  at 
Copan,  in  Yucatan  and  Hondur.is  as  in  Anahuac  ;  the  trav- 

'  Sartoriu--.,  "  Soc.  Mex.  Geog.  Boletin,  2  a  epoca,"  vol.  I.,  p.  821 ;  vol.  II,,. 

p.  148. 


i  I?' 


^ 


THE  RUINS  rp  CENTRAL  AMERICA. 


355 


ich 
sed 
ess 
in 
Istat- 


II.. 


eller  meets  with  them  as  far  as  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec, 
where  two  of  them  near  the  town  of  Tehuantepec  are  es- 
pecially noticeable  ;  the  larger  measures  one  hundred  and 
twenty  feet  by  fifty-five  at  the  base,  and  sixty-six  by  thirty 
at  the  platform  crowning  it ;  a  staircase  no  less  than  thirty 
feet  wide  leads  to  this  platform. 

Local  differences  may  be  observed,  the  cause  of  which  is 
most  often  the  difference  of  the  materials  at  the  disposal  of 
the  builders  ;  but  everywhere  the  primitive  type  is  retained, 
a  development  connecting  itself  with  the  mounds,  which  oc- 
cur from  the  borders  of  the  Ohio  and  the  Mississippi  into 
Florida,  and  thence  into  more  southern  regions,  where  they 
rrmain  last  witnesses  of  the  migrations  of  these  races. 

Such  are  the  chief  ruins  that  recall  the  Nahuas.  The 
carelessness,  the  fanaticism,  and  the  avarice  of  the  conquerors 
have  rapidly  destroyed  monuments  the  magnificence  of 
which  is  alleged  to  have  dazzled  the  Spaniards.  These 
monuments  may  be  judged  by  our  description  of  a  few  of 
them,  but  it  is  probable  tha.^  the  exuberance  of  Spanish  ad- 
jectives and  the  natural  tendency  of  travellers  to  exaggerate 
the  features  of  their  discoveries  are  responsible  for  much 
that  has  passed  into  history. 

Tula,'  the  former  capital  of  the  Toltecs,  is  now  represented 
by  a  poor  and  miserable  village,  thirty  miles  to  the  north- 
west of  Mexico.  Of  its  past  grandeur  it  has  preserved  noth- 
ing but  its  name.  "  Five  centuries  before  the  conquest," 
siiys  Sahagun,  '■"  "  this  great  and  celebrated  town  shared  the 
adverse  fortunes  of  Troy  "  The  ruins  that  existed  have  in 
their  turn  disappeared,  and  excavations  executed  in  1873 
yielded  nothing  but  a  monstrous  idol  and  two  basalt  columns. 
One  of  these  (fig.   143),  covered  with  ornaments  finely  exe- 

'  There  are  several  places  of  the  name  of  Tula,  Tulha,  and  Tulau  ;  hence  a 
serious  difficulty.  ("  Popol.-Vuh,  pp.  I.XXXV.  and  CCLIV.)  Tula  was,  it 
is  said,  destroyed  by  the  Chichimecs  in  I064,  and  the  inhabitants  took  refuge  at 
Cholulan,  the  city  of  exiles.  The  latter  town  in  its  turn  rose  to  importance 
rapidly,  for  the  Spaniards,  we  are  told,  gave  it  the  name  of  Romp  on  account  of 
the  splendor  of  its  monuments. 

*  "  Hist,  de  la  cosas  de  Nueva  Espana,"  prol.  al.  lib.  VIII. 


ii\  'in 


i  ''if* 


356 


PKE-HISTORIC  AMERICA. 


St 


I 


'i1 


'if.' 


Ji^ 


cuted,  is  interesting,  as  it  shows  us  the  mode  of  jointing  with 
tenon  and  mortice  employed  by  these  people,  who  were  al- 
ready well  advanced  in  their  knowledge  of  technical  pro- 
cesses.' Other  ruins  of  little  importance  are  met  with  in  the 
neighborhood  ;  but  we  learn  nothing  about  the  ancient  Tula. 
Such  was  the  state  of  things  when  recent  discoveries  re- 
vealed facts  which,  should  they  be  confirmed,  will  prove  of 
capital  importance  to  the  ancie^it  history  of  America. 

Charnay,  in  the  execution  of  a  mission  entrusted  to  him 
by  the  French  Government,  went  to  Zula  and 
superintended  the  excavation  of  some  tumuli, 
mountains  of  rubbish  probably,  which  had  cov- 
ered for  many  centuries  the  relics  of  the  ancient 
Toltecs.  One  dwelling  thus  exiiumed  consisted 
of  twenty-four  rooms,  two  cisterns,  twelve  cor- 
ridors, and  fifteen  little  staircases  "  of  extraordi- 
nary architecture  and  thrilling  interest,"  enthu- 
siastically exclaims  the  fortunate  explorer." 

"  This  is  not  all,"  he  adds  ;  "  in  the  midst  of 
fragments  of  pottery  of  all  kinds,  from  the 
coarsest  used  in  building,  such  as  bricks,  tiles, 
water-pipes,  to  the  most  delicate  for  'domestic 
use,  I  have  picked  up  enamels,  fragments  of 
crockery  and  porcelain,  and  more  extraordinary 
still,  the  neck  of  a  glass  bottle  iridescent  like 
ancient  Roman  glass." 

Amongst  the  debris  lay  the  bones  of  some 
gigantic    ruminants   (perhaps  bisons  ?),    the  tibia    of  which 
were  about  one  foot  three  inches  long  by  four  inches  thick, 

'  "  Soc.  Mex,  Geog.  Boletin,"  3d  epoc.i,  vol.  I.,  p.  185.  "The  Toltecs 
used  indifferently  stones  mixed  in  mud  or  in  mortar  for  the  interior  of  the  walls, 
and  cement  and  lime  for  coating  them.  They  employed  burnt  brick  and  hewn 
stone  for  the  inside  coating,  brick  and  stone  for  the  stairs,  and  wood  for  the 
roofs.  They  were  acquainted  with  the  pilaster,  which  we  have  found  in  their 
houses  ;  with  the  engaged  column,  caryatides,  and  the  free  column,  and  we 
can  think  of  few  architectural  devices  that  they  did  not  know  and  use." 
Charnay,  "  Bull.  Soc.  Ceog.,"  Nov.,  1S81. 

'  Letter  to  the  Trait  d'  Union  of  the  23th  of  August.  1880.  "Archives  des 
Missions  scientifiques,"  vol.  VII. 


Fig.  143. — Col- 
umn from  Tula. 


hi 


THE  RUINS  OF  CENTRAL  AMERICA. 


357- 


the  femur  at  the  upper  end  about  six  inches  by  four  inches. 

Admitting  that  there  is  no  mistake,  these  facts  are  abso- 
lutely new,  for  previously  it  was  considered  that  the  early 
Americans  did  not  know  how  to  make  either  glass  or  porce- 
lain, and  that  before  the  arrival  of  the  Conquistadors  none 
of  our  domestic  animals  were  known  in  America,  but  that 
the  oxen,  horses,  and  sheep  living  there  at  the  present  day 
are  all  descended  from  ancestors  imported  from  Europe. 

The  excavations  have  also  yielded  some  little  chariots 
that  Charnay  thinks  were  the  toys  of  children.  Now,  sup- 
posing these  toys  to  have  been  a  reproduction  in  miniature 
of  objects  used  by  men,  we  must  conclude  that  the  Toltecs 
employed  carriages,  and  that  their  use  was  not  only  given 
up,  but  absolutely  unknown  on  the  arrival  of  Cortes.' 

These  discoveries,  we  can  but  repeat,  greatly  modify  the 
conclusions  hitherto  accepted.  But  are  these  really  original 
productions?  May  they  not  have  been  imported  ?  This  is 
after  all  doubtful,  and  new  proofs  are  needed  to  establish 
certainly  that  the  objects  discovered  really  date  from  the 
pre-Columbian  period  before  we  can  admit  that  in  the  elev- 
enth century  the  Toltecs  possessed  domestic  animals,  that 
they  knew  how  to  make  and  fashion  porcelain,  glass,  perhaps 
even  iron,  for  Charnay  also  collected  in  his  excavations  sev- 
eral iron  implements.  He  himself  expresses  an  idea  that 
the  material  of  which  they  were  made  dates  from  the  Span- 
ish period.  Me  does  not  explain  why  he  makes  an  excep- 
tion on  this  point  with  regard  to  the  glass  and  porcelain 
objects. 

It  is  strong  evidence  against  their  prehistoric  character 
that  all  these  elements  of  an  advanced  civilization  must 
have  disappeared  without  leaving  any  trace  even  in  the 
memory  of  man.  It  is  probable,  therefore,  that  the  differ- 
ent objects  brought  to  light  b\-  Charnay  are  la'er  than  the 
Spanish  conquest,  and  it  will  be  wise  to  reserve  our  opinion 
with  regard  to  them  until  more  complete  information  can 
be  obtained. 


^  Revue  des  Questions  scientijit/ues,  Oct.,  1881,  p.  640. 


y 

m 


■M 


u 


I  li 


358 


PRE-IIISTORIC  AMERICA. 


tv 


'VL 


ir 


No  monument  of  Mexico  has  remained  standing;  there  is 
nothing  to  recall  the  power  of  the  Aztecs ;  pyramids,  pal- 
aces, tcocallis,  all  have  disappeared ;  the  ruins  themselves 
are  buried  beneath  the  accumulated  dust  of  three  centuries; 
and  we  are  ignorant  of  the  very  position  of  the  edifices  over 
the  grandeur  of  which  Spanish  writers  expatiate."  To  get 
some  idea  of  what  were  the  buildings  of  the  Aztecs,  we 
must  reproduce  the  description  of  the  great  temple  erected 
by  Ahiutzotl  in  honor  of  the  god  Huitzilopochtli. 

This  temple  occupied  the  centre  of  the  town  ;  it  was  situ- 
ated in  the  middle  of  an  enclosure  surrounded  with  walls 
which  extended  for  a  length  of  4,800  feet.  These 
were  built  in  rubble-stone  laid  in  mortar,  coated  with 
plaster,  polished  on  both  faces,  surrounded  by  turrets  and 
machicolations  of  spiral  form,  and  ornamented  with  numer- 
ous sculptures,  chiefly  representing  serpents.  Hence  the 
name  by  which  they  were  known,  Coetpantli,  or  walls 
of  serpents.''  On  each  side  was  a  building,  the  lowest  story 
of  which  served  as  a  portal  to  the  interior  of  the  court. 

On  entering  one  found  one's  self  opposite  the  great  temple, 
which  formed  a  regular  parallelogram  of  three  hundred  and 
seventy-five  feet  by  three  hundred,  and  which  like  the  other 
teocallis  rose  in  five  terraces,  each  built  smaller  than 
the  other  below  it.  The  walls  were  of  rubble,  mixed  with 
clay  and  beaten  earth,  covered  with  large  slabs  of  stone 
carefully  cemented  and  encased  by  a  thick  coating  of  gyp- 
sum. The  upper  platform,  which  was  reached  by  a  flight  of 
three  hundred  and  forty  steps,  passed  round  each  of  the  ter- 
races  in    succession,  and  was   surmounted  by  two  towers 

'  Bernal  Diaz  :  "  Hist,  verdadera  de  la  Conquista  de  la  Nueva  Espafia," 
fol.  70.  ;  "  Relatione  fatta  jicr  an  gentil'huomo  del  signor  F.  Cortese." 
Ramusio  :  "  Navigaiioni  et  ^'iagg),  vol.  III.,  fols.  307,  309.  Torquemada  : 
"  Mon.  Ind.,"  vol.  II.,  p.  197.  Cortes  :  "  Cartas  y  Kelaciones,"  p.  io6. 
Sahagun  :  "  Hist.  Gen.,"  vol.  I.,  p.  197,  Gomara  :  "  Hist,  de  Mex.,"  fol. 
iiS.  Las  Casa.-^:  "  Hist.  Apol.,"  chs.  XLIX.,  LI.,  CXXIV.  Tezozomoc  : 
"Hist.  Mex.,"  vol.  I.,  p.  151.  Amongst  mo-  •  rn  writers  may  be  consulted 
Prescott's  "  Hist,  of  the  Conquest  of  Mexico  "  and   I'ylor's  "  Anahuac." 

*  "  Era  labradade  piedras  grandes  a  manera  de  culebras  asidas  las  unas  a  las 
otras."     Acosta  :  "  Hist,  de  las  Yii     vs"  p.  333- 


,11         ' 


\\ 


THE  RUINS  OF  CENTRAL  AMERICA. 


359 


1 


of  three  stories  each,  their  total  height  being  fifty-six  feet. 
The  two  upper  stories  were  of  exceptional  construction,  be- 
ing in  wood,  and  could  only  be  reached  by  means  of  ladders. 
The  roof  was  also  of  wood,  and  consisted  of  a  cupola 
upheld  by  columns  painted  alternately  blrck  and  red. 

The  sancturies  of  the  gods  were  in  the  lower  story  of  the 
teocalli ;  on  the  right  was  that  of  Huitzilopochtli,  and 
on  the  left  that  of  his  half  brother  Tezcatlipoca.  The  statue 
of  the  former  was  exhumed  almost  intact  in  1790;  the 
Indians  hastened  to  cover  it  with  flowers.  This  is  a  strange 
fact,  especially  when  we  contrast  it  with  the  indifference  to 
the  past  noticed  among  the  present  Indians  of  North 
America.  The  gigantic  statues  of  Huitzilopochtli  and 
Tezcatlipoca  were  hidden  from  the  eyes  of  the  faithful  by 
magnificent  draperies,  and  at  their  feet  was  set  up  the 
sacrificial  stone,  said  by  Clavigero  to  have  been  of  green 
jasper,  on  which  so  many  unfortunate  victims  perished.  Las 
Casas  is  enthusiastic  even  to  exaggeration  over  the  internal 
richness  of  the  temple.  Bernal  Diaz,  who  is  probably  more 
veracious,  says  that  the  walls  and  the  floors  were  streaming 
with  human  blood,  and  exhaled  an  odor  so  fetid  that  the  visit- 
ors were  quickly  put  to  flight.'  In  all  the  temples  and  before 
all  the  idols  burned  the  sacred  fire,  which  was  always  scrupu- 
lously kept  up,  for  its  extinction  threatened  the  country  with 
great  danger.  From  the  top  of  the  principal  teocalli  could 
be  counted  six  hundred  braziers,  which  were  burning  day 
and  night. 

Forty  smaller  temples,  mostly  crowning  pyramids,  rose 
from  different  points  of  the  sacred  enclosure,  like  satellites 
of  the  greater  gods  to  whom  the  chief  temple  was  con- 
secrated. That  of  Thitoc  was  reached  by  a  flight  of  fifty 
steps" ;  that  of  Quetzacoatl  was  circular  and  crowned  by  a 
dome  ;  the  door  was  low,  and  represented  the  mouth  of  a 
serpent ;  the  worshippers  who  came  to  adore  their  god  had 
to  pass  through  this  half-open  mouth  which  seemed  ready 

•  "  Hist,  de  la  Conq.,"  fol.  7. 

•Oviedo  :  "  Hist.  Gen.  y  Nat.  de  las  Tndias,"  vol.  IH.,  p.  302. 


I 


1   .-: 

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36o 


PRE-IIISTORIC  AMERICA. 


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to  devour  them.'  The  Illadcatlican  was  dedicated  to  the 
planet  Venus,  and  a  captive  had  to  be  sacrificed  at  the  very- 
moment  of  the  appearance  of  that  planet  above  the  horizon. 
In  accordance  with  a  rather  original  idea  an  immense  ca<,^e 
was  placed  in  one  of  the  teocallis  to  receive  the  statues  of 
foreign  gods,  so  that  they  might  not  be  able  to  use  their 
liberty  for  succoring  their  worshippers.' 

The  Qtiauhxicalco  was  an  immense  ossuary  where  the 
bones  of  victims  were  accumulated.  The  skulls  were  set  aside 
and  put  in  the  Tzcuipantli o\x'i'^\Ac  the  enclosure  near  the  west- 
ern gate.  This  Tzcmpantli  was  an  immense  oblong  pyramid 
formed  by  human  heads  enshrined  in  the  masonry.  Two 
columns  dominated  the  platform  of  the  pyramid,  and  these 
columns  were  entirely  composed  of  heads  taking  the  place 
of  stones."  When  the  victim  was  a  chief  the  head  was  set 
up  in  its  natural  condition,  and  nothing  could  exceed  the 
horror  and  disgust  inspired  by  these  grinning  dead  faces. 
The  Spaniards  alleged  that  there  were  as  many  as  one 
hundred  and  thirty-six  thousand  of  these  heads  thus 
exposed. 

The  court  was  the  largest  portion  of  the  enclosure.  It 
was  here  that  an  immense  crowd  collected  to  assist  at  the 
sacrifice  and  at  the  combats  of  the  gladiators.  Here,  too, 
were  the  lodgings  of  thousands  of  priests,  women,  and  chil- 
dren, whose  duty  it  was  to  take  care  of  the  temples  and  the 
sacred  precincts;  according  to  Bernal  Diaz,  however  great 
the  number  of  visitors,  the  enclosure  was  kept  clean  with 
such  care  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  discover  in  it  so 
much  as  a  single  straw. 

Tezcuco  has  disappeared  like  its  ancient  and  eager  rival ;, 
its  stones,  bas-reliefs,  and  sculptures  have  been  used  to  build 
the  houses  of  the  modern  town,  and  a  few  heaps  of  now 
shapeless  adobes  and  rubbish  of  all  kinds  here  and  there  are 
the  sole  mementoes  at  the  present  day  of  the  past  splendor 

'Torquemada  :    "  Mon.  Ind.,"vol.  II.,  p.  145. 
'  Torquemada,  quoted  above,  vol.  II.,  p.  147. 

'Warden:  "  Recherches  sur  les  Ant.  de  I'Am.  du  Nord.,  Ant.  Mex.,"  vol.  II., 
p.  66. 


1         \ 


THE   RUINS  OF  CENTRAL  AMERICA. 


36r 


of  a  town  which  contained  one  hundred  and  forty  thousand 
houses,  and  where  two  hundred  thousand  craftsmen  worked 
for  years  at  the  erection  of  the  dwelHng  of  the  chief.'  Ty- 
ior,  in  a  recent  visit,  made  out  the  foundations  of  two  hirge 
Teocallis  and  several  tumuli,  which  marked  ancient  graves. 
In  consequence  of  one  of  these  geological  phenomena  which 
it  is  difficult  to  explain  satisfactorily,  but  which  are  met  with 
in  every  part  of  the  globe,  the  lake  which  once  washed  the 
capital  of  the  Tezcucans  is  now  several  miles  from  the  mod- 
ern town. 

In  spite  of  our  wish  to  abridge  a  necessarily  very  dry  list 
of  names,  it  is  impossible  to  omit  noticing  the  ruins  of 
Quemada,  in  the  south  of  Zacatecas,  on  the  road  between 
the  town  of  that  name  and  Villanucva,  not  only  on  account 
of  the  mass  of  ruins  which  cover  a  considerable  area  and 
bear  witness  to  the  ancient  importance  of  the  town,  but  also 
because  of  the  differences  between  its  buildings  and  any  of 
those  of  which  we  have  hitherto  spoken. 

The  origin  of  Quemada  is  unknown,  but  it  has  been  stated, 
without  any  serious  proof,  that  the  Aztecs  halted  there  in 
their  migrations  southward,  and  that  it  is  to  them  that  the 
town,  the  true  name  of  which  is  unknown,  owes  its  founda- 
tion.' 

The  Ccrro  dc  los  Edificios  is  an  irregular  hill,  half  a  mile 
long  and  from  six  hundred  to  nine  hundred  feet  wide,  which 
suddenly  rises  to  the  height  of  about  sixteen  hundred  feet, 
near  its  summit.  This  was  a  fortress,  a  regular  intrenched 
camp,  surrounded  with  walls  no  less  than  twelve  feet  thick, 
with  several  tiers  of  bastions  connected  by  curtains.    A  large 

'Totquemada  :  "  Mon.  Intl.,"  vol.  1.,  p^  304.  The  figures  he  gives  are  prob- 
ably greatly  exaggerated.  Peter  Martyr  only  speaks  of  twenty  thousand 
houses,  and  Cabajal  Espinosa  of  thirty  thousand,  "  Hist,  de  Mexico,"  Mexico, 
i8t  2,  vol.  I.,  p.  87. 

'  Lyon  :  "  Journal  of  a  tour  in  the  Republic  of  Mexico,"  London,  1828,  vol. 
L,  p.  225.  Narcos  de  Esparza :  "  Informe  presentado  al  Gobierno,"  Zacate- 
cas, 1830.  J.  Burkart  ;  "  Aufenthal  und  Reisen  in  Mexico,"  Stuttgart,  1836. 
Nebel :  "  Viage  sobre  la  Republica  Mejicana,"  Paris,  1830.  "  Soc.  Mex.  Geog. 
Bol.,"  2a.  epoca,  vol.  IIL,  p.  278.  Fegueux  :  "  Les  Ruines  de  la  Quemada," 
Rev.  d'  Ethn..  vol.,  L  p.  119. 


.'; 


M 


/' 


362 


PRE.inSTOKIV  AMERICA. 


\  ■  I 


'.III' 


'ft: 


pyramid  about   thirty-two   feet  high,  forms  a  veritable  re- 
doubt. 

It  is  at  Los  Edificios,  as  the  name  impHes,  that  the  most 
important  ruins  arc  found.  It  is  impossible  to  describe 
them,  for  they  are  now,  as  we  have  said,  nothing  but  masses 
of  rubbish ;  and  long  and  costly  excavations  alone  could 
enable  us  to  judge  of  the  form  and  purpose  of  the  various 
buildings.  Several  columns  have  remained  standing,  and 
the  position  of  some  of  them  indicate  that  they  had  formed 
part  of  porticos.  This  is  an  exceptional  fact  in  ancient 
American  architecture.  These  columns  are  in  gray  por- 
phyry, and  remind  us  of  the  massive  ones  of  Eg}-ptian  tem- 
ples. One  of  these  columns  is  no  less  than  nineteen  feet  in 
circumference,  and  eighteen  feet  high.  Fegueux  speaks  of 
eleven  columns  of  about  three  feet  in  diameter  and  nine 
in  height. 

Besides  the  pyramid  we  have  mentioned,  there  are  several 
others  belonging  to  this  well-known  type.  The  mortar 
which  binds  the  stones  together  is,  as  in  the  buildings  of  the 
Mound  Builders,  a  mixture  of  clay  and  straw.  So  far  none 
of  the  sculptures,  hieroglyphics,  or  piclographs,  such  as  are 
so  constantly  met  with  in  other  ancient  towns,  have  been 
found.  Fegucu.x,  however,  speaks  of  a  stone  on  which  five 
serpents  were  engraved,  situated  at  the  foot  of  the  escarp- 
ment of  Los  Edificios. 

The  plain  surrounding  the  Cerro  is  covered  with  ruins, 
amongst  which  neither  pottery,  flint  weapons,  nor  imple- 
ments are  found.  Wc  are  met  with  the  strange  problem  of 
a  town,  every  thing  i  .  Dut  which  proves  its  importance,  yet 
where  nothing  of  this  sort  reveals  the  presence  of  man. 

The  province  of  Oajaca,  situated  on  the  banks  of  the 
Pacific  and  crossed  by  the  Cordillera,  includes  a  mountain- 
ous and  sterile  region  overlooking  the  ticrras  calicntcs  with 
their  rich  tropical  vegetation ;  here  dwelt  the  Zapotecs,'  who 

'  Maler  writes  Tzapoteques  {Nature,  25lh  Dec,  1880).  Perhaps  he  is 
right,  for  the  name  seems  to  l)e  derived  from  Tzapotl,  "  a  well-known  fruit," 
says  Molina,  "  Voeahularis  en  lengua  Castellana  y  Mexicana."  They  called 
themselves  Didsasa. 


THE  RUINS  OF  CENTRAL   AMERICA. 


363 


resembled  the  Mayas  in  their  language,'  and  the  Nahuas  in 
their  religious  rites  and  in  the  style  of  their  architecture; 
springing  very  probably  from  intermarriages  between  these 
two  races.  The  men  were  strong  and  well  built,  brave  and 
often  ferocious" ;  the  expression  of  their  faces  was  disagree- 
able ;  whilst  the  women,  on  the  contrary,  are  said  to  have 
been  pretty,  with  finely  cut  and  delicate  features. 

Their  religious  rites,  as  we  have  just  said,  resembled  those 
of  the  Aztecs,  Among  their  numerous  divinities,  patrons  of 
all  the  virtues  and  also  of  all  the  vices,  they  recognized  one 
principal  Qo^,  Piyexoo  ;  the  uncreated  being,  Pitao-Cozaanay 
the  Creator.  What  is  more  certain  is  that,  like  the  Aztecs, 
they  did  honor  to  their  gods  by  human  sacrifices.  Men 
were  offered  up  on  the  altars  of  the  gods,  women  on  those 
of  the  goddesses.  On  the  day  dedicated  to  Teteionan,'  a 
woman,  who  was  seated  on  the  shoulders  of  another  woman, 
had  her  head  cut  off ;  and  her  bearer  had  to  appear  before 
the  goddess  bathed  in  the  blood  which  flowed.  At  the  cele- 
bration of  a  holiday  in  honor  of  the  arrival  of  the  gods,  the 
victims  were  burned,  and  on  other  occasions  children  were 
drowned  or  walled  up  in  caves,  there  to  die  slowly  of  the 
cruel  tortures  of  hunger  and  fear.* 

The  Zapotecs  were  subject  to  a  chief,  and  the  ofifice  was 
hereditary.  Contemporary  with  this  chief  lived  a  chief 
priest,  the  Weyctao,  who  resided  at  Yopaa,  and  took  an  im- 
portant part  in  the  government  of  the  country.  His  feet 
were  never  allowed  to  touch  the  ground  ;  he  was  carried  on 
the  shoulders  of  his  attendants  ;  and  when  he  appeared,  all, 
even  the  chiefs  themselves,  had  to  prostrate  themselves  be- 
fore him,  and  none  dared  to  raise  their  eyes  in  his  presence. 

'  Bancroft  (vol.  III.,  p.  754)  gives  very  fairly  complete  details  on  this  Ian. 
guage,  and  mentions  his  authorities. 

'  "  Ferozes  y  valientes,"  says  Burgoa,  "  (leog.  Descr.,"  vol.  I.,  p.  2,  fol. 
196,  vol.  II.,  fol.  362.  Ilerrera  :  "  Hist.  Gen.,"  vol.  III.,  dec.  III.,  book  III., 
CXIV. 

*  A  goddess  adored  by  the  various  people  of  the  Nahuatl  race,  also  known 
under  the  names  of  Tozi,   Toccy  and  Tocitzin. 

*  Clavigero,  "  St.  Ant.  del  Messico,"  vol.  II.,  p.  45. 


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33  WEST  MAiN  STREET 

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PRE.inSTORIC  AMERICA. 


The  Weyetao  cuuld  not  marry,  and  was  bound  to  continence, 
but  on  a  certain  day  of  the  year  he  had  a  right  to  become 
intoxicated,  and  when  he  was  in  that  state,  a  young  and 
beautiful  virgin  was  brought  to  him  ;  and  it  was  the  eldest 
of  the  children  born  of  this  union  of  a  single  day  who  in- 
herited the  sacerdotal  dignity.' 

The  splendor  of  the  edifices  erected  by  the  Zapotecs  was 
by  no  means  inferior  to  that  of  the  other  people  of  Central 
America,  and  Mitla,"  their  capital  and  sacred  town,  was  in 
ever\'  respect  worthy  of  ct^mpa'-isoii  with  Palenque  or  Ux- 
mal,  Chichen-Itza  or  Tcnotchitl.ui.  It  is  said  to  have  been 
founded  by  the  disciples  of  Quetzacoatl,  and  a  legend  tells 
that  one  day  an  old  man  of  v  eiiorable  aspect  suddenly  came 
out  of  Lake  Iluixa,  acconip.vnicd  by  a  young  girl  of  incom- 
parable beauty.  This  old  Mar  was  clothed  in  a  dress  and 
mantle  of  brilliant  blue,  and  wore  a  mitre  on  his  head.  He 
pointed  out  an  eminence,  on  which  a  temple  was  built  un- 
der his  orders  ;  he  gave  to  the  country  wise  and  just  laws, 
and  disappeared  as  mysteriously  as  he  had  arrived.'  Hut  a 
town  had  already  risen  near  the  temple,  and  for  centuries 
this  town  continued  tw  prosper,  thanks  to  the  celestial  pro- 
tection. There  are  vast  gaps  in  its  history,  and  a  few  very 
doubtful  facts  are  just  beginning  to  accumulate.  We  know 
that  the  Zapotecs  were  engaged  in  long  struggles  with  the 
Aztecs,  and  that,  at  the  end  of  the  15th  century,  about 
1494,  Mitla  was  taken  and  given  over  to  pillage,  the  priests 
who  had  conducted  the  defence  being  taken  to  Mexico,  and 
offered  up  on  the  altars  of  Huitzilop<Khtli. 

The  town  of  Mitla  rises  in  the  centre  of  a  narrow  and 
dusty  valley,  framed  in  dreary  and  rugged  mountains.  Its 
ruins  appear  suddenly  before  the  traveller,  and  their  mag- 

'  Huigoa,  loc.  cit.  Brasseur  ile  Uourbourg  :  "  Hist,  des  Nat.  Civ.,"  vol. 
III.,  )).  29. 

"  The  Zapotcc  n.iine  was  Lioba  or  Yobba,  the  town  of  tombs  ;  the  name  of 
Mitla  seems  to  have  been  given  by  tiie  Aztecs.  It  may  come  from  Mictlau, 
the  abode  of  souls  after  death  ;  or  from  Mitl,  one  of  the  Nahua  gods. 

'  Torquemada,  vol.  I.,  p.  255.  Ilcrrern,  dec.  III.,  book  II.,  ch.  XI. 
Veytia,  vol.  I.,  p.  164.     Uurgoa,  fol.  297,  343. 


II 


i\ 


THE  RUINS  OF  CENTRAL  AMERICA. 


365 


nificcncc  contrasts  strangely  with  the  arid  and  desert  coun- 
try surrounding  them.  "  The  monuments  of  the  golden  a^c 
of  Greece  and  of  Rome,"  says  the  eminent  archeologist, 
Viollct-le-Duc,  '*  alone  equal  the  beauty  of  the  masonry  of 
this  great  building.  The  facings,  dressed  with  perfect  regu- 
larity, the  well-cut  joints,  the  faultless  bends,  and  the  edges 
of  unequalled  sharpness,  bear  witness  to  knowledge  and  long 
experience  on  the  part  of  the  builders." 


Fio.   144. — Plan  of  the  great  temple  of  Mitla. 

The  most  remarkable  building  of  Mitla  is  the  palace, 
lauded  in  such  enthusiastic  terms ;  it  consists  of  an  interior 
quadrangle  measuring  130  by  120  feet,  surrounded  on  three 
sides'  by  rounded  mounds,  from  which  rise  important 
buildings  (fig.  144).  The  northern  building  (A)  is  well 
preserved  ;  of  that  on  the  east  (C)  nothing  remains  but  a 
few  crumbled  walls,  in  the  midst  of  which  rise  a  portico  and 

'  On  the  plan  given  by  Dupaix  he  figures  a  fourth  building.      VioUet-Ie-Duc 
reproduces  it  (p.  75).    The  very  foundations  have  now  completely  disappeared. 


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PRE.niSTOKIC  AMERICA. 

two  columns  (r.,  <•.).  The  western  building  (D)  has  fared 
still  worse  ;  its  foundations  alone  remain.  At  I'alenque  the 
walls  were  entirely  constructed  of  dressed  stones;  in  Yuca- 
tan, dressings  of  large  stones  mask  a  heart  of  rubble-stone 
and  mortar ;  it  is  this  latter  mode  which  was  employed  at 
Mitla;  but  the  mortar  is  replaced  by  clay,  and  the  exterior 
face  is  formed  in  masonry  consisting  of  perfectly  hewn 
stones,  of  the  size  of  a  small  brick,  producing  many  varied 
combinations  by  their  joint  patterns  and  zig-zags. 

The  lateral  buildings  measure  96  feet  by  17  ;  that  on  the 
north  130  by  36.  Several  steps  (G.)  lead  up  to  three  doors 
(//!.)  and  give  access  to  them.  The  lintels  are  no  longer  in 
wood,  but  in  large  stones,  such  as  those  in  the  monuments 
of  Greece  or  Rome. 

The  chief  room  (fig.  145)  was  ornamented  by  six  columns, 
without  plinth  and  without  capital.  These  columns  were 
probably  intended  to  uphold  the  roof,  and  thus  to  lessen  the 
bearing  of  the  beams.'  Humboldt,  who  visited  these  ruins 
in  1802,  speaks  of  large  beams;  Dupaix  says  they  were  of 
the  wood  of  a  coniferous  tree  ;  such  was  also  the  opinion  of 
Viollet-le-Duc  ;  and  Maler  reports  that  at  the  time  of  his 
visit  all  the  beams  had  disappeared.  Hurgoa,  on  the  con- 
trary, speaks  of  having  seen  in  their  places  large  slabs  more 
than  two  feet  thick,  resting  on  pillars  nine  feet  high,  and  the 
Abbe  Brasseur  de  Hourbourg'  confirms  this  fact, adding  that 
all  round  the  building  ran  a  cornice  ornamented  with  gro- 
tesque sculptures,  the  whole  of  which  formed  a  kind  of 
diadem  crowning  the  building.  We  have  taken  pains  to  re- 
late these  unimportant  details,  to  illustrate  the  impossibility 
of  coming  to  any  conclusions  in  the  presence  of  facts  so 
very  obscure  in  themselves  and  rendered  yet  more  confusing 
by  the  discrepancy  of  different  explorers. 

The  walls  and  the  pavement  had  been  covered  with  three 

'  Similar  examples  might  be  mentioned  in  certain  pueblos,  undoubtedly  of 
more  recent  construction  than  the  palace  of  Mitla,  at  Tuloom,  on  the  eastern 
coast  uf  Yucatan. 

•  "  Hist,  des  Nat.  Civ.,"  vol.  III.,  p.  26. 


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layers  of  very  durable  stucco,  paiiitcil  red.  of  a  tone  not  un- 
like that  decorating  the  walls  of  I'onipeii. 

From  the  room  of  the  columns  a  very  dark  lobby  led  into 
a  second  court  (^I.).  surrounded  b\-  rooms  (/&.,  b.),  which,  in  spite 
of  their  small  ilimensions.  must  have  been  the  chief  ones  of 
the  palace.  The  richness  of  their  ornamentatit)n  was  remark- 
able; the  walls  were  covered  with  a  regular  mosaic  in  littU- 
stones,  f(jrming  symmetrical  designs,  ("ireek  frets,  or  ara- 
besques. It  is  difficul'  to  decide  whether  these  mosaics,  of 
very  skilful  execution,  bear  witness  to  an  art  more  advanced 
than  that  of  the  sculptures  at  Usmal,  it  is  yet  more  difficult 
to  assign  a  ilate  to  the  building  of  either.  It  is  however. 
prett\-  generally  agreed  that  the  mt)numents  of  Uxmal  are 
more  ancient  than  those  of  Mitla. 

The  three  other  palaces,  the  ruins  of  which  are  standing, 
must  be  brieilv  mentioned.  The)-  resemble,  though  on  .i 
smaller  scale,  the  one  already  imticiHl.  I'robabl)'  hieratic  in- 
Huence  consecrated  a  t)'])e  from  which  none  were  allowed  ti) 
depart;  everywhere  we  mccl  with  the  mosaics  in  stone-. 
which  are  characteristic  of  tlu'  .irciiitecture  of  Mitla.  We 
will  only  mention  a  subterranean  gailer\  in  tlie  forni  of  a 
cross,  under  one  of  thi.'>e  palacis.  Cr\'pts  are  in  fact  rare  in 
Central  .America. 

The  Zapotecs  had  carriiil  tiieir  eoncpiests  as  far  as  the 
isthmus  of  Tehuantepec,  and  it  is  pruhahl}-  to  them  that  are 
due  the  pyramids  still  standing  in  .several  places,  such  as  the 
fortificationsof  CerrodeCiuiengoLi,'  of  which  we  have;dread\- 
had  occasion  to  speak.  These  fortifications  were  erectei.1 
after  the  taking  of  Mitla,  by  order  of  Cocij-oeza ;  they  ena- 
bled the  Zapotecs  to  make  a  \ictorious  resistance,  the  result 
of  which  was  an  honorable  peace  for  the  v;!n<|uished.  A 
sepulchre  hewn  in  the  very  siilc  of  the  ("erro  has  yielded 
more  than  two  hundred  pieces  of  pottery,  chiefly  vases  or  lit- 
tle figures  of  animals.  The  whole  of  the  inside  of  the 
tonii)  was  covered  with  a  thick  coating   of  cement,  anil  the 


'  Arias  :   "  Antii,'UL'il.i(lcs  Zapoiccas,"  Museo  Mcx.     Mailer  ;  "  Rciscn  in  don 
VcTeiiiij-len  Sl.a.-iten,  Canada,  iind  McxicD,"  I.eipzij;.  1864. 


wl 


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) 


THE  A'UINS  Oi-    CENTKAL  AMERICA. 


369 


L"  not  1111- 

^-  led  into 
h,  in  spite 
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s,  or  ara- 
losaics,  of 

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however. 
Jxnial  are 

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form  of  a 
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ive  already 
re   erectetl 
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the  result 
ished.      A 
IS   yieldeil 
ises  or  lit- 
e    of    the 
t,  and  the 

Kciscn  in  ilon 


corpses    were    placed    with   the    faces   turned    toward    the 
ground,  a  very  unusual  arrangement. 

The  Cerro  de  Guiengula  is  but  a  few  leagues  from  Te- 


ii^:^^^(i^i^ 


l'"ii;.  146. — Iinaj^e  dF  ,1  Zajjotcc 
chitf. 


llG.  147. — Zapolcc  ornament 
founil  al  'rcluianlei)cc. 


huanlepec,  the  capital  of  the  province,  where  the  recent 
discovery  of  the  sepulchre  of  one  of  the  ancient  chiefs  of 
the  country  is  announced.' 

'  F.  Mak-r,  X.itiir,-,   14th  Inn.-,  187.). 


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In  1875,  in  ilcmolishiii^'  ;i  house,  the  workmen  found  a 
number  of  costly  jewels  of  ^oUl,  to<^'etlur  with  several 
human  skeletons  which  fell  to  thist  immcdiatelj-  on  contact 
with  the  air.  This  tomb  was  compktcl)-  unknown  at  the 
time  of  the  Spanish  concjuest.  or  it  would  certainl)- not  ha\r 
escaped  the  rajiacity  of  the  .Spaniards.  This  I.ist  fact,  taken 
with  the  state  of  the  bones,  justifies  us  in  assi;^nint;  threat 
antiquity  to  the  sepulchre,  and  adds  to  the  value  of  the  dis- 
covery. Unfortunately  the  jewels  were  sold  for  the  \\eiL;ht 
of  the  ijold,  and  nearl}-  all  were  immediatel)'  melteil  down. 
The  only  ones  left  are  those  we  reproduci-  (fii;s.  146  to 
149).  One  of  them  is  supposed  to  be  the  imai^e  of  a  Zapo- 
tec  chief,  placed  near  his  corpse  ;  the  bird  seems  to  have 
been  a  labret  or  pendant  for  the  lip.  A  similar  ornament  is 
fastened  to  the  r.)\-.d  lip.  .Several  little  fiijures  represented 
turtles;  the\-  are  all  m.ide  in  a  sinijle  piece,  hollowed,  with- 
out a  trace  of  solderint^,  and  such  as  the  most  skilful  jewel- 
lers of  our  present  d.iy  would  find  it  ver\-  difficult  to  imitate. 

With  the  ijokl  ornanunts  were  also  picked  up  se\'eral  cop- 
per objects,  earthenware  vases  of  _y;raceful  form,  a  cu]),  the 
handle  of  which  represents  the  paw  of  a  feline  anim.d,  oth- 
ers orn.unenled  with  tastefully  executed  paintinj^s,  and 
lastly  some  necklaces  of  round  stones  and  braceU'ts  of  sea- 
shells.  At  previous  times  sevenil  little  earthenware  fiL,Mires 
had  been  founil,  which  are  now  in  the  National  ^luseum  of 
Mexico.  These  discoveries,  toijether  with  the  monmnents, 
or  rather  the  ruins  .still  existing,  bear  witness  to  the  industry 
of  tile  Zapotecs. 

We  are  oblii^ed  to  omit  numerous  ruins,  temples  or  pal- 
aces, mounds,  pyramids  or  fortific.itioiis.  Central  America, 
Irom  the  Mississippi  to  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  is  literally 
covereil  with  them,  and  that  in  the  most  different  rej^ions  ; 
from  fertile  plains,  wiiere  men  can  live  in  lar^e  numbers,  to 
arid  mountains,  where  it  is  scarcely  jiossible  to  maintain  ex- 
istence. It  is  impossible,  however  ^reat  their  interest,  to 
describe  all  these  discoveries  ;  our  sole  aim  is  to  illustrate 
the  riches,  the  luxury,  and  the   culture   of  these  people,  the 


I 


THE  RUJNS  or  CENTRAL   AMERICA. 


371 


11    found  a 
th    scvL'ial 
)n   coiitail 
iwii   at  thf 
y  not  lia\  I' 
fact,  taken 
nintj  threat 
of  the  dis- 
tlic  wciijlit 
Itcd   down. 
i;s.    146  to 
of  a  Zapo- 
is   to  have 
)rnament  is 
"epresented 
)\ved,  witli- 
:ilful  jewel- 
to  imitate, 
several  cop- 
a  cup,  tlie 
Lninial,  oth- 
tins;s,    and 
lets  of  sca- 
lare  iV^nires 
Uuseuni   of 
lonumeiits, 
le  industn' 

es  or  pal- 
Anieric.i, 
is  literally 
nt  regions  ; 
umbers,  to 
aintain  e\- 
nterest,  to 
)  illustrate 
Jcople,  the 


verj'  name  of  which   is  almost  effaced  from  the  memory  of 
men. 

Under  these  circumstances  there  is  but  one  other  fact  to 
which  it  will  be  useful  to  call  attention.  Santa  Lucia  Co- 
sumhualpa,  in  the  department  of  Rscuintla  (Guatemala),  a 
little  town  of  recent  creation,  not  yet  marked  on  any  map, 
rises  at  the  foot  of  the  volcano  del  I-'uej^o.     The  celebrated 


Fig.  14S. — Zapuicc  oniament 
found  at  'rehuantL'pec. 


lu;.  149. — Zapotec  labret. 


German  traveller,  liastian,  who  cro.sscd  the  country  in  1876, 
has  proved  the  existence  all  around  the  village  of  important 
ruins,  the  <:;reater  number  of  which  are,  however,  still  hidden 
in  the  midst  of  impenetrable  forests.' 

'  Ilabel  ;  "  Investigations  in  Central  anil  South  America,"  "Smith.  Cont.," 
vol.  XXII.  Schobel  ;  "  Un  chap,  do  I'Arch.  Am.  Congres  de  Luxembourg,"^ 
vol.  II. 


' 


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3/2 


PKi:.//rSTOK/C  AMERICA. 


' 


Hi 


Amont^st  blocks  of  cyclopean  stone,  and  rubbish  of  all 
kinds,  sculptures  are  seen,  differing  materially  from  and  in- 
finitely superior  to  those  we  have  described. 

In  the  sugar  plantation  of  Don  Manuel  llerrcra,  Rastian 
saw  colossal  heads  in  stone,  of  a  straiv^e  and  unknown  t\'pe, 
and  several  fii^ures  of  animals,  such  as  tapirs  and  alli_i;ators. 
These  <;i!;antic  statues  were  arrans;ed  in  threes,  at  ecpial  dis- 
tances from  each  other,  as  if  they  hail  marked  a  (.(ilonnade 
now  destroyed.  At  tlie  Hacienda  de  los  Taros  Ia>' three- 
other  fit^ures  in  relief,  five  feet  nine  inches  in  heii^ht.  by  three 
feet  seven  inches  across,  and  of  boiil  execution.  Two  of 
these  fii;ures  wore  earrings,  and  their  head-dresses  resembled 
the  Asiatic  turban. 

Farther  on  are  some  bas-reliefs,  sculptured  in  ver\-  hard 
porphyritic  rocks,  such  as  .u-e  onl\' found  near  the  volcano  of 
Acatenanj^H),  so  lliat  the  blocks  nuist  have  been  brout;ht 
from  .1  L^reat  tlistance.  These  luij^e  bas-reliefs  n-presenl 
fisjjures  grotestpie  alike  in  (lesi!j;n  and  execution,  and  nutho- 
lo_L;ical  scenes  perfeetl>'  unlike  thosi:  w  ith  which  we  are  ac- 
quainted either  in  Maya  or  Xahuatl  art.  .Stvi-ral  of  these 
scenes  represent  the  adoration  of  the  sun  anti  of  the  moon, 
or  r.ither  of  the  j^ods  presitlin;^  o\er  tlie-^e  hea\enly  bodies, 
for  men  had  already  adojittil  antliio])omorphism  and  en- 
dowi'd  tluir  i;'ods  with  the  liuni.m  foriu.  The  priests  .and 
woish.ippers  an- naked  ;  i)ut  the  ornanunls  and  jew  ils  with 
which  they  .are  loaded  are  full  of  intiresl.  {'".irther  on  a 
chill  is  seated  on  his  throne,  with  the  e.ir  distended  b)' a 
rini;"  of  considerable  si/.e  and  weight  ;  an  interestin;^  fact,  for 
We  meet  aijain  wit);  this  same  barl)anius  cu>lom  imposed  b)' 
the  Incas  upon  the  inhabit.ints  of  rem,  and  the  Mound 
Builders  wore  larL;e  copper  rini^s  in  the  e.us.  The  most  in- 
terestinjf  bas-relief  represents  .i  human  sacrifice  (fi;;.  151); 
the  principal  personat^e  is  a  priest,  we.irins;  the  stranL;e  head- 
dress of  a  crab,  holding;  in  his  riL;ht  hand  .1  Hint,  probably  the 
sacrificial  knife,  and  in  his  left  hand  the  head  of  the  victim 
whom  he  has  just  killed.  Beneath  are  two  fiL,nires,  each  car- 
rying a  human  head.     One  doubtless  represents   Death,  for 


1 
i  1 

'!'  i 

1 

1^1 

» 

Jf 


/•///•.    .!UINS   OJ-    CENTNAL    AAttHilCA. 


m 


sh  of  all 
I  aiul  in- 

i,  Rastian 
)\vn  type, 
illiijatDrs. 
"(lual  (lis- 
oloiinaili- 
Ia>-  thrci- 
.  l)y  tlircH; 
Two  of 
cscniblcil 

;cry  hard 
'olcaiio  of 

hfoui^Iit 

irpivstiit 

(1    nistlio- 

(•  arc  ac- 

lif  tlicsi- 
he  moon, 
y  Ijodirs, 
I    and   I'li- 

icsts  ;ind 
wcls  with 

her  on  a 
ulrd  l)y  a 

r  fact,  for 

iposcd  by 

c  Mound 

most  in- 

Ht':4-  '5'); 

nL;c  hcad- 
)bably  the 
ic  victim 
,  cacli  car- 
Jcath,  for 


his  face  is  that  of  a  skeleton  ;  he  is  girded  with  two  serpents, 
and  the  form  of  his  head  is  like  that  of  an  ape.  The  cut-off 
heads  appear  to  have  belonged  to  a  different  race  from  the 
priest  «ir  his  assistant. 

The  bodies  are  nude  and  of  correct  proportions;  orna- 
ments are  arranged  so  as  It)  hide  the  sexual  organs;  the  feet 
arc  ,shod  with  sandals,  and  the  features  express  satisfaction. 
Lastly,  it  is  the  head  of  the  victim,  not  the  heart  as  was  the 
invariable  custom  of  the  Aztecs,  which  was  being  presented 
to  the  gods. 

The   scul])tures  found  at  Santa   Lucia  are  by  no  means 


Fig.  150. — Stone  head  found  near  Santa  I.uci.T. 

exceptional.  The  whole  of  Guatemala,  that  ancient  land  of 
the  Quiches  and  Cakchiqucls,  is  covered  with  ruins,  among 
which  are  bas-reliefs,  statues  and  monoliths,  some  attaining 
twenty-five  feet  in  height,  and  including  numerous  repre- 
sentations of  men  and  animals.  At  Quirigua  especially,  on 
the  Rio  Motagua,  about  eight  miles  from  Vsabal,  a  little 
port  on  the  Gulf  of  Honduras,  have  been  discovered  a  colos- 
sal head,  and  a  statue  of  a  woman  with  feet  and  hands  mis- 
sing, wearing  on  her  head  a  crowned  idol;  while. close  by, 
excavations  have  yielded  the  head   cf   a   tiger    in  porphy- 


i 


\ 


11 


'    I 


i"'l<;.  151— Human  Sacrillcc-  ;  li.is-relitf  from  Sla.  I.iui:i 
374 


^  I 


1'  I 


i 


■<% 


.     iW, 


Till-:   kllSS  Oh-  C EX  THAI    AMERICA. 


%n 


rltir  rock  ;  the  terror  that  this  {^reat  feline  animal  inspired 
doubtless  led  to  its  bein|^  admitted  to  the  rank  of  a  fjod.' 
An  altar,  on  one  of  the  sides  of  which  a  turtle  has  been 
sculptured,  and  lastly  an  idol,  twenty-three  feet  high,  also 
deserve  to  be  mentioned.  All  these  fij^ures  are  menacing; 
or  repulsive  ;  human  bodies  an-  surmounted  by  the  heads  of 
ape-;.  Unlike  the  immortal  creators  of  art  in  Greece,  the 
earl\'  Americans  ilid  not  seek  beauty,  or  rather  they  diil  not 
understand  it,  and  their  conceptions  could  not  therefoic  be 
of  icju.d  elevation. 

What  justly  surprises  us  is  the  immense  amount  of  work 
rccpiired  in  these  sculptures,  with  such  mechanical  processes 
as  alone  ai)pear  to  have  been  known.  First  of  ;dl,  blocks  of 
hard  stone  had  to  be  <;ot  out  with  wretclied  implements  of 
quart/  or  obsidian  ;  and  then  the  granite  or  porphyry  had  Ivj 
be  s.iwn  into  slabs  v.itu  agave-fibre  ami  emery.'  A  rough 
drawing  of  the  outline  indicated  where  the  thickness  was  to 
be  reduced,  .(.id  this  work  was  executed  either  by  saw'ng  a 
certain  portion,  which  was  immediately  skilfulK'  chippeil, 
or  1))-  hammering  with  a  flint  point ;  lastly,  with  the  help  of 
flat  stones  or  polishers  and  of  water  mixed  with  emer\-.  the 
surface  of  the  plane  portions  was  rubbed  so  as  to  remove  all 
traces  of  the  work.  These  processes  were  long,  and  neces- 
.sarily  re(|uired  great  patience  on  the  part  of  the  workmen 
to  obtain  the  desired  results.  This  is  a  certain  indication  of 
a  .society  in  its  infancy,  whcrt-  men  had  not  yet  learnctl  to 
recogni/e  the  value  of  time. 

W'e  have  spoken  of  the  engravings  on  rock  and  hie'o- 
glypliics  met  with  in  the  region  occupied  by  tlie  Cliff  Dweller.s 
and  the  inhabitants  of  the  pueblos.  We  meet  with  similar 
engravings  and  s'lnilar  hierogl\phics  throughout  Central 
America.  The  desire  of  perpetuating  the  memory  of  the 
objects  before  his  eyes   by  imitating  them   is   one  of   the 

■  Stephens  :  "Central  .America,"  vol.  II.,  p.  i83.  .Sclier/er  :  "  Ein  Uesuch 
bei  ilcn  Ruincn  viin  (^uirigua  ini  Staate  (liiateinala,"  Vienna,  lS()5. 

'■'  Soldi ;  "  I.e-i  caniccs  et  les  pierres  gravces  I'art  an  inoyen  age,  I'art  Khmer, 
Ics  arts  (lu  I'crou  et  du  Mexiqiie,  i'art  ligyptien,  les  arts  industriels,  des  musees 
du  Trocadero,"  Paris,  iSSo. 


t. 


I 


i 


I 


\ 


/ 


I 


u 


4/6 


PRE-niSTORIC  AMERICA. 


most  characteristic  peculiarities  of  man.  In  Honduras  is  a 
rock  covered,  as  to  a  great  part  ol  its  surface,  by  figures  of 
men,  animals,  and  plants,  engraved  in  taglio  to  a  dr])th 
of  more  than  two  inches,  ami  Pinart  describes  in  the  State 
of  Panama  cliffs  entirely  covered  with  hieroglyphics,  which 
he  tells  us  are  full  of  interest  for  the  student. 

In  Mexico  there  are  paintings,  which  are  regular  annals  of 
the  people,  and  represent  their  first  migrations.  Bancroft 
(vol.  II.,  pp.  544.  545.  547)  nproduces  these  jiaintings  after 
Gemelli.  Carer,  and  Lord  Kingsborough.  They  are  very 
curious. 

The  museum  of  Mexico  iMjssesses  a  whole  series  of 
paintings,  showing  the  education  of  children,  the  food 
which  was  gi\en  to  them,  the  ta>ks  which  were  set  them, 
and  the  punishments  which  were  inthcted  ujion  them.  Han- 
croft  (vol.  II.,  p.  589)  gives  these  figures  after  the  Codex 
Meiulo/.a. 

These  j)ictures  have  the  distinct  outlines  and  brilliant 
colors  at  which  the  Aztecs  aimetl  above  every  thing,  as  we 
have  already  .seen,  in  speaking  of  their  sculptures;  the>-  did 
not  aspire  to  an  exact  imitation  of  nature,  still  less  to  a  beau- 
tiful ideal,  which  they  were  incapable  of  understanding. 
'•  We  see  in  the  Mexican  paintings,"  says  Humboldt,  "  heads 
of  an  enormous  size,  a  boiij-  extremely  short,  and  feet  which, 
from  the  length  of  the  toes,  look  like  the  claws  of  a  bird. 
All  this  denotes  the  infanc)-  of  the  art  ;  but  we  must  not 
forget  that  people  who  express  their  ideas  by  paintings,  and 
who  are  compelled  by  their  state  of  society  to  make  frecpient 
use  of  mixed  hieroglyphical  writing,  attach  as  little  impor- 
tance to  correct  painting,  as  the  literati  of  luirope  to  a  fine 
handwriting  in  their  manuscripts."  Without  agreeing  with 
Humboldt's  comparison,  it  is  certain  that  we  must  not  seek 
amongst  the  Aztecs  for  models  of  decorative  painting  such 
as  those  recemly  discovered  in  the  r.d.itinati'  ;  the  ignorance 
of  the  artists  shows  that  their  work  w.is  a  spontaneous  pro- 
duct of  their  genius,  and  that  they  had  not  been  subjected  to 
any  foreign  influence  on  the  soil  of  America.     According  to 


ll^N 


I 


PW 


THE   RUIXS  01-    CEA'TRAl.   AMEKKA. 


17T 


duras  is  a 
figures  of 
a  tli'pth 
the  State 
ics,  which 

annals  of 

li.incroft 

int;s  after 

arc   very 

series  of 
tile  food 
set  tliem, 
■ni.  Han- 
lie  Coil  ex 

i    brilliant 
iiiij;,  as  we 
;   the)-  did 
:()  a  heaii- 
rstanilin^. 
t,  "  heads 
:et  wluch, 
of  a  l)ird. 
must  not 
ini^s,  and 
fri'ciuent 
le  inipor- 
to  a  fine 
ein|4  with 
not  seek 
tin;^  such 
noraiice 
L'ous  pro- 
jected to 
ording  to 


tradition  they  bor-owcd  their  processes  from  the  Toltccs, 
tile  initiators  of  all  progress  in  Mexico  and  Central  America. 
After  their  final  victory  it  is  said  that  the  rulers  of  Mexico 
had  the  paintings  destroyed  which  recalled  the  grandeur  of 
those  they  had  conijuered.  Hy  a  just  retribution,  but  un- 
fortunately for  science,  the  Spaniards  in  their  turn  destroyed 
the  Aztec  annals,  and  a  few  incomylete  copies,  a  few  frag- 
ments that  escapedthis  barbarous  destruction,  are  the  onl)* 
original  sources  of  information  from  which  it  is  now  possible 
to  draw. 

It  is  easy  to  understand  the  first  idea  of  he  hieroglyphics. 
First  of  all  engravings  on  rocks  give  the  animate  or  inani- 
mate object  which  struck  tne  eye  of  the  artist.  In  ali 
ages  this  is  the  primitive  form  of  the  art.  Then  arose  a 
desire  to  represent  not  only  men  or  objects,  but  also  cer- 
tain scenes,  such  as  a  battle,  a  migration,  or  a  fire,  the 
memory  of  which  they  wished  to  preserve.  Later,  by  way 
of  abbreviation,  the  artist  was  content  to  express  names  or 
things  by  conventional  signs.  An  arrow,  for  example,  signi 
fied  an  enem>'  ;  several  arrows,  several  enemies  ;  the  direc- 
tion of  the  point,  the  direction  these  enemies  had  taken. 
Often  the  names  themselves  had  a  signification  lending  itself 
to  representation  by  a  figure,  thus  :  Chapultcpec.  the  hill  of 
the  grasshopper ;  'rcoinpanco,  the  place  of  skulls  ;  Chinuxl- 
popoiti,  the  shield  full  of  smoke  ;  Acainapitai)i,  the  hand  full 
of  reeds  ;  Maciiilxoclntl,  the  five  flowers  ;  Qiiauhtcnchan,  the 
dwelling  of  the  eagle.  In  other  cases  names  are  translated 
by  regular  puns.  To  give  one  instance,  Itzcoatl,  ruler  of 
Me.xico,  was  represented  by  a  serpent,  coatl,  pierced  by 
several  splinters  of  obsidian,  itzli.  Hence  by  a  rapid  transla- 
tion was  given,  not  the  true  form  of  the  objects,  but  the 
representation  of  the  name  they  bore  in  the  s[)oken  lan- 
guage ;  then  by/a  very  simple  link,  signs  were  replaced  by 
letters,  and  an  alphabet  was  complete. 

Hieroglyphics,  true  conventional  signs,  mark  then  a  period 
of  human  evolution.  They  are  met  with  on  the  monuments 
of  Chiapas  as  on  those  of  Yucatan  ;  on  the  walls  of  Palenque 


illt 


ii .' 


M    \| 


fl 


I' 


ilK 


/ ' 


378 


PKE-HISTOKIC  AMERICA. 


'li 


li 


;  ( 


;  I 


or  Copan,  as  on  those  of  Chichen-Itza  or  Quirigua  (figs.  113, 
124.  126,  12;,  128,  130);  they  were  sculptured  or  engraved 
on  granite  or  on  porphyry,  with  quartzite  and  obsidian  im- 
plements.' Iron,  we  repeat,  was  absolutely  unknown  ;  no- 
where do  we  find  it  mentioned,  and  nowhere  do  we  meet 
with  the  characteristic  rust  which  is  the  undeniable  proof  of 
its  presence.  • 

Hitherto  it  has  been  impossible  to  discover  a  key  by  which 
to  decipher  the  hieroglyphics.  Las  Casas  tells  us  that  in  his 
time  there  were  still  men  learned  in  the  reading  and  the  re- 
production of  these  signs,'  whose  business  it  was  to  register 
events,  noting  the  day,  the  month,  and  the  year  in  which 
they  happened  :  and  he  adds  that  these  men  so  thoroughly 
understood  what  they  had  written,  and  what  the  ancients 
had  written  before  them,  that  our  letters  would  have  been 
useless  to  them.  In  earlier  times  these  hieroglyphics  were 
executed  Ijy  the  priests  of  the  god  Centeotl,  which  prie>ts 
had  to  be  old  men.  widowers,  and  vowed  to  continenct;  and 
a  contemplative  lifr.  It  was  then  a  hieratic  writing,  known 
to  the  initiated  only,  which  is  reproduced  in  the  Maya  manu- 
scripts of  which  we  have  spoken,  especiall}'  in  tlie  Coilex 
IVrezianus  and  that  of  Dresden.  Bancroft  (vol.  11.,  j).  771) 
enters  into  minute  details  in  regard  to  these  various  manu- 
scripts. 1  \v  reprotluces  fragments  of  two  of  them  ;  it  is  easy, 
by  means  of  comparison,  to  make  sure  of  their  similarit\-  to 
the  hieroglyphics  of  which  we  are  spe.iking.  Bishop  Diego 
de  Landa  speaks  of  a  graphic  system "  ;  he  has  even  pre- 
served an  alphabet  of  thirty-three  signs,  one  of  which  is  in- 
ttnded  to  mark  the  aspirate  ;  but  unfortuiiatt-ly  the  alphabet 
has  (inly  come  down  to  us  in  ;i  very  imperfict  form  ;  and  in 

'Ciiiinaia:  "  Conq.  Mcx.,"  p.  318.  Cl.ivii^cro  :  "Slur.  Ant.  dol  Mosico," 
vol.  II.,  J).  205. 

''  "  IIi-.i.  Apologctici  tie  Lis  Vii(ii;u  Occideniales." 

'  •'  Rcl.icion  de  las  cosas  de  Vuiataii,"  |nUili>hed  in  iS(j4l)y  lirasseurde  Bour- 
liimri,',  with  a  French  translation.  It  is  f.iir  to  ;uid  tii.nt  the  aim  of  the  bishop 
was  to  prepare  for  the  natives  religious  hooks  with  .signs  wiiich  were  familiar  to 
them,  lie  did  not  occupy  himself  with  art,  history,  or  archa'olo(jy.  Some  well- 
founded  doubts,  we  must  add,  exist  as  to  the  value  of  his  alphabet. 


I      (  y 


l|!.l 

l"^!! 


THE  RUINS  OF  CENTRAL   AMERICA. 


379 


igs.  113, 
ntjjraved 
lian  im- 
vn  ;  no- 
vo meet 
proof  of 

)y  which 
at  in  his 
1  the  re- 
rct;istcr 
n  wliich 
)roiit;lily 
ancients 
ive  been 
lies  were 
h  prie^ts 
enc('  and 
^,  known 
ya  nianu- 
e  Coilex 

•.  p-  n^) 

us  nianu- 

t  is  eas_\', 

arity  to 

)  Diei^o 

ven   pre- 

ch  is  in- 

ilphabet 

uul  in 

1  Messico," 


;ur  lie  liour- 
(he  l>Uhop 
familiar  to 
Some  well- 


spite  of  estimable  earnest  works  '  on  the  subject,  it  has  been 
impossible  to  decipher,  with  its  help,  either  the  manijscripts, 
or  the  hieroglyphics,  which  according  to  all  appearance  are 
more  ancient  than  they. 

The  letters  given  by  Landa,  however,  sensibly  resemble 
those  of  the  manuscripts';  they  may,  therefore,  be  a  con- 
necting link  between  the  hieroglyphics  and  the  graphic 
writing.  The  words,  arranged  in  the  same  order  as  ours, 
appear  most  probably  to  be  constructed  on  the  polysyn- 
thetic  system,  and  present  that  character  so  characteristic  of 
the  languages  of  the  New  World.  They  were  written  on 
real  paper,  made  either  of  the  root  of  certain  plants,  such  as 
the  agave,  on  prepared  skins,  or  even  on  cotton  cloth. 
Several  leaves  were  enclosed  between  richly  ornamented 
wooden  boards.  These  are  called  analtccs,  and  this  word 
cannot  be  better  rendered  than  by  annals' 

The  Troano  manuscript  is  written  on  a  strip  of  paper 
fourteen  feet  long  by  about  nine  inches  wide.  The  charac- 
ters, which  arc  red,  brown,  sometimes  blue,  according  to 
the  text  to  which  they  relate,  are  written  on  both  sides. 
The  paper  opens  out  as  does  a  fan,  and  each  leaf  thus  repre- 
sents thirty-five  pages.  The  chief  manuscripts  which  have 
come  down  to  us,  and  which  must  not  be  confounded  with 
those  already  mentioned,  are  the  Codex  Mendoza,  sent  to 
Charles  V.,  by  tiie  viceroy  Mendoza,  now  in  the  Bodleian 
Library  at  Oxford,  and  of  which  a  copy  is  in  the  Escurial; 

'  Wc  will  menlion  I,,  tie  Rosiiy  :  "  K^sai  de  duclulTrement  de  I'ccriture 
hieiauijiio  dc  rAmcriciiic  Ccnlrale,"  Paris,  1S75.  De  Charency,  "  Rcclieiches 
sur  le  Codex  Troano,"  I'aris,  1S76.  "  I'.ssai  dedc'cliiffremont  triiiic  inscri[)tion 
palfiKniLcmie  "  ;  Actcsde  le  Soc.  de  Piiilologic,  vol.  I.,  March,  1878.  Unfor- 
tiitiately  when  this  last  work  apiiearcd,  we  had  only  very  i  iperfect  reproduc- 
tions of  the  hieroL^lyphicsof  Paleniiue.  Chariiay  has  lately  sent  to  Paris  plaster 
casts  of  them,  and  every  one  can  row  consult  them  in  the  Trocadcro  Museum. 
See  also  I}(>llacri's  paper  published  in  the  "  Memoirs  of  the  Antliropological 
Society  of  London,"  vol.  II.,  p.  298.  We  do  not  speak  of  the  works  ot  the 
Abbe  IJrasseur  de  Bourbourg,  which  are  characterized  rather  by  ini.ngination 
than  by  science. 

•Ch.  Rau,  p.  57,  "Smith.  Cont.,"  vol.  XXII. 

'  Peter  Martyr,  decade  iv.,  book  viii.  Juan  de  N'illagutierre  y  Sotomayor, 
"  Hist,  de  la  Coni^uista  de  la  Province  de  el  Itza,"  Madrid,  1701. 


'  '  1 


i 


£ 


r,ii 


380 


PRE-niSTOKIC   AMERICA. 


Ifl 

*J 

\ 

! 

■  ! 

the  Codex  Tellcriano-Renicnsis  in  the  National  Library  of 
France;  the  Codex  Vaticaniis  copied  at  Mexico  in  1566,  in 
tile  Vatican  Library  at  Rome;  the  Codex  lior^'ia,  in  the  col- 
lege of  the  Propaganda  at  Rome ;  the  Codex  liologna,  sii])- 
poscd  to  be  a  treatise  on  astrology;  and  lastly  a  codex,  the 
origin  of  which  is  unknown,  but  which  we  know  to  have 
been  given  to  the  I-lmperor  Leopold  in  1677  by  a  duke  of 
Saxe  Lisenach.  Lord  Kingsborough  also  gives  representa- 
tions of  fragments  of  several  other  manuscripts,  and  it  is  to 
his  magnificent  work  that  those  who  wish  to  make  a  special 
study  of  the  subject  should  refer. 

To  sum  up,  the  Mexican  manuscripts  which  have  escaped 
so  many  causes  of  destruction  include  three  very  distinct 
kinds  of  painting:  figurative  painting,  in  which  the  artist 
reproduces  more  or  less  exactly  the  objects  before  his  ej-es ; 
symbolical  painting,  in  which  the  object  is  represented  by  a 
conventional  sign  ;  and,  lastly,  phonetic  painting,  in  which 
it  is  no  longer  the  object,  but  the  name  it  bears,  that  the 
artist  endeavors  to  give.  These  three  styles  still  existetl  in 
Mexico  on  the  arri\al  of  the  Spanish,  for  we  know  that 
when  Juan  de  Grijalva  ai)pearcd  on  the  coast  of  \'era  Cruz, 
the  Cuetlachtlan  chiefs  hastened  to  send  to  Moutc-zuma 
very  exact  paintings  of  the  vessels,  weapons,  antl  clothes  of 
these  strangers,  who  already  so  justly  excited  the  alarm  uf 
the  Mexicans.' 

The  luxury  of  the  private  life  of  the  wealthy  inhabitants 
of  these  sumi)tuous  towns  was  on  a  i):ir  with  that  of  the 
public  buildings.  The  chairs  on  which  tluy  sat  in  the 
Oriental  st\-le  were  of  wood,  often  imitating  the  form  of  an 
animal,  such  as  a  tiger  or  an  eagle,  for  instance.  These 
chairs  were  covered  with  the  tainud  skins  of  deer,  and  orna- 
mented with  embroideries  in  gokl  and  silver.  Skins  of  the 
same  kind  were  used  to  decorate  the  walls  of  the  principal 
rooms,  or  they  were  i)ainted  in  gaudy  coK)rs,  red  and  blue 

•  Torquemada  :  "  Mon.  Iml."  ]>.  37S  ;  Acos'a  :  "  Hist.  <!c  las  Vnd.,"  ji  515  ; 
Vcytia  :  "Mist  .int.  de  Mcjito,"  vol.  III.,  p.  377  ;  Ucrrcta  :  "  Hist.  Gen.."  dec. 
II.,  book  III.,  ch.  IX. 


^^^^■. 


library  of 
I  156G,  ill 
1  the  col- 
it^na,  siip- 
adcx, the 
to  have 
.  duke  of 
;presenta- 
:1  it  is  to 
a  special 

0  escaped 
y  distinct 
the  artist 
:  his  eyes ; 
nted  by  a 

in  which 
■;,  that  the 
existed  in 
enow  that 
'era  Cruz, 
ontezuina 
clothes  of 

alarm  of 

ihabitants 

lat  of  the 

at    in    the 

irni  of  an 

e.     These 

and  orna- 

ins  of  the 

principal 

and  blue 


r//L'  A'UINS  OF  CENTRAL   AMERICA. 


381 


being  moit  generally  preferred.'  They  had  at  home  vases 
of  agate  or  precious  stone,  ornaments,  statuettes  of  gold  or 
silver  cast  in  one  piece,  eight-sided  dishes,  each  side  of  a 
different  metal,  fish  of  which  the  scales  were  made  of  gold 
and  silver  mixed,  and  parrots  that  moved  their  head  and 
wings.  It  has  even  been  alleged  that  they  were  acquainted 
with  the  art  of  enamelling,  and    that    they  knew   how    to 


mi.,     ])  515; 
Gen.."  dec. 


Fio.    152. — Earthenware  vase  found  at  Ticul. 

temper  copper  so  as  to  render  it  hai\l  enough  to  make 
hatchets  and  very  sharp  knives.  The  Peruvians  are  also  said 
to  have  possessed  sucii  a  secret,  but  no  weapons  or  orna- 
ments have  been  discovered  in  either  country  to  justify  this 
assertion. 

Cortes  mentioned  to  Charles  V.  his  surprise  at  the  num- 
ber of  gold,  silver,  lead,  copper,  aiul  tin'  ornaments  publicly 
exposed  for  sale.  In  some  places  little  bits  of  tin  were  used 
as  money;  elsewhere  pieces  of  copper,  very  much  like  the 

'  (^nloucz  :  "  I'.ilL'iiquL-,"  quoted  by  Urasseur  de  Bourbourg :  "  Hist,  des  Nat. 
( 'iviliM'cs,  vol.  II.,  ]).  69. 

'•"  Tin  (tachco)  is  chiefly  found  near  the  town  of  Tazco,  from  which  it  takes 
its  name.     "Carta  secunda  de  Relacion,"  30th  Oct.,  1520. 


1      i!j 


\\ 


\ 


\ 


\ 


r*  I 


382 


PRE  HISTORIC  A. \t ERICA. 


:•!.!' 


;f^ 


|![ 


■|t.' 


Hi 


r 


% 


it 


/^77<  (t)  in  form ;  or  quills  filled  with  gold-dust  served  the 
same  purpose.  Trading  was,  however,  chiefly  carried  on  by 
barter,  and  payments,  according  to  Hollacrt,  were  made  in 
balls  of  cotton  or  cacao-nibs.  The  cojjpcr  objects  often  con- 
tained a  certain  amount  of  silver;  but  as  silver  is  found  in 
copper  in  its  natural  state,  we  must  not,  therefore,  conclude 
that  the  Mexicans  were  acquainted  with  alloys  of  metals. 
The  tissues  used  were  no  less  rich;  the  goddess  I.xalzavoh, 
it  is  said,  had  herself  taught  the  people  of  Yucatan  the  art 
of  spinning  and  weaving;  and  the  numerous  and  varied 
dye-woods  of  these  districts  furnished  amph-  means  of  color- 
ing cloth. 

The  pottery  was  remarkable,  alike  in  style  and  execution. 
Herrera  speaks  of  a  province  of  (iuatemala.  where  it  was 
the  especial  duty  of  the  women  to  m.d<e  it,  and  Palacio 
adds,  that  this  manufacture  was  the  chief  industry  of  Agua- 
chipa.  one  of  the  towns  of  the  I'ipiles,  of  the  Maj-a  race, 
who  inhabitetl  the  territorj- now  forming  the  republic  of  .San 
Salvador.  We  give  a  reproduction  of  a  vase  found  at  Ticul, 
near  Uxmal,  (fig.  152).  the  monkey  face  forming  the  centre 
of  the  decoration,  is  remarkably  characteristic  of  designs  of 
Palenque.  We  also  give  a  little  terra-cotta  figure  (tig.  153), 
found  in  Chiapas,  near  Ococingo  ;  whether  it  be  an  idol  or  a 
grotescpie,  it  has  aljout  it  a  certain  artistic  merit. 

The  Nahuas  were  inferior  in  nothing  to  the  Mayas.  They 
not  only  fashioned  vases  of  the  most  varied  form  for  domes- 
tic use,'  but  also  images  of  the  gods  they  worshipped,  statu- 
ettes of  animals  or  serpents,  censers  in  which  they  burnt 
copal  on  holy  ila>s ;  bowls,  beads  for  ])ersonaI  ornament, 
and  trumpets  or  flutes,  with  which  they  imitated  the  cry  of 
different  animals. 

'The  (lifTerent  museums  of  Euri)i)c,  sucli  as  the  ChiiNly  coll  ciioii   iu    l.'iii 
don,  tlie   Uiule  colleclion   at   Heidellieig,  .and  dthers,  ccmi.'xni  luiiiieiou.  >i>i  .  ■ 
mens  of  the  art  of  American  potters,     Ai)nve  all,   we  must  mcnimn   iK.'   N 
tional  Museum  of  Mexico;  the  Smilhsdui.in   Iiisiitulion  and  llir  Na  inn   I     ; 
seum  at  Washington.     The  cataloi;ue  of  the   first  of  tlieui  was   jjuMilic  il   i: 
Vol.   III.   of  the  "Philosophical   Transactions,"  and    that  of  the   second   I'V 
rharles  Rau  :  "Smith.  Contr.,"  vol.  XXII. 


r 


THE  RUINS  OF  CENTRAL  AMERICA. 


385 


^ed  the 
1  on  by 
nadc  in 
;cn  con- 
jund  in 
oncludc 
metals. 
:dzavt)li. 
1  the  art 
I  varied 
of  cohir- 

:ccution. 

e  it  was 
I'ahicio 
)f  At;ua- 
lya  race, 
ic  of  San 
at  Tieul, 
le  centre 
esij^ns  of 

idol  or  a 

s.  They 
r  ilomes- 
d,  statLi- 
y  burnt 
nainent, 
le  crv  of 


.11   tl..-    N 
.1  i'lii   1 

)ul>ll-ll'll     1 

hicoinl   liv 


These  musical  instruments  of  terra  cotta  were  of  very 
fine  workmanship ;  they  were  four  or  five  inches  long,  and 
pierced  with  several  holes,  which  gave  forth  from  two  to  six 
different  notes.  In  nearly  all  of  them  the  mouth  is  modelled 
so  as  to  represent  an  animate  object,  such  as  a  flower,  an 
animal  or  a  man  (fig.  154).     The  human  faces,  like  those  of 


I'U;.   153. — Teria-cotta  statuette 
found  at  Ococingo. 


Fig.  154. — Earthenware  flute. 


the  idols  (fig.  155),  arc  always  grotesque  and  hideous,  afford- 
ing another  proof  that  these  people  had  no  idea  of  beauty, 
or  rather  of  beauty  such  as  we  conceive  it.  When  the  Mexi- 
cans departed  from  the  human  form,  the  decoration  of  their 
vases  is  perhaps  too  profuse,  but  not  at  all  inartistic  (figs.  156, 
'57»  '58)-     We  mention  especially  a  vase  more  than  twenty- 


'?  il 


i: 


\\ 


\ 


/ 

1 

'  1 

1 

J 

384 


PRl.-llISTOKlC  AMERICA. 


two  incliLS  hiqii  by  fifteen  in  diamctor,  found  in  an  i-xcava- 
tion   under  one  of  the  public  scjuares  of  Mexico,  not  only 


Fk;.  :i5. — Klu'.  from  Zachila. 


Fic.  1:6 —Vase  from  llic  National 

MllM'lUll    ijf    McMCO. 


%  il 


li 


iff 

] 


Fig.  i5  7._Va-f  bcloii-iiiy  t.,  ihe  Xaticnal  Museum  at  WashinL'iou. 


')    I 


^ 


I 


/ 


r*>.. 


^ 


THE   RUINS  OF  Cl:\ IKAI.   AMERICA. 


i«5 


on  account  of  its  form  and  decoration,  but  because  it  was 
filled  with  human  skulls,  curiously  piled  one  on  top  of  the 
other. 

Some  Mexican  pottery  is  probably  of  great  antiquity,  and 
it  may  even  be  of  earlier  date  than  the  arrival  of  the  Toltecs 
in  Anahuac.  Indeed,  recently  have  been  discovered,  in  a 
cave  of  the  jirovince  of  Durango,  thousands  of  dried  mum- 
mies ;  and  with  these  mummies  hatchets,  arrow-points  of 
flint,  and  vases  remarkable  in  form  and  decoration.' 

The  7\ztecs  were  no  less  skilful  in  working  obsidian  than 
in  moulding  clay.      Thcv  made  of  obsidian,  in  spite  of  the 


I'"l("..  15S. — Mi-xic.ii)  vast-  in  ilu'  National  .Museum  at  Washington. 

difficulties  of  cutting  and  polishing  it,  knives,  razors,  lance- 
or  arrow-heads,  mirrors,  and  sometimes  masks,  which  they 
placed  on  the  faces  of  tlie  dead  at  the  time  of  the  funeral. 
This  last  custom  was  general,  for  the  chiefs  at  least,  for 
similar  masks  have  been  found  in  several  places,  not  only  in 
obsidian,   but  also    in    marble   or   serpentine.'     Lastly,  the 

'  "  Proc.  Antlir.  Soc.  of  Washington,"  1879,  p.  80. 

'  Math,  do  Fossey  :  "  Lc  Mc.xique,"  Paris,  1S57,  p.  213.  It  is  also  a  charac- 
teristic of  the  Aleuts  and  Western  Eskimo  of  the  nortluvest  coast  of  America, 
and  has  been  treated  of  at  length  in  the  "  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology  at 
Wasliington  for  18S3." 


,•. 


,  I ' 


U 


r' 


s   4 


1       •» 


386 


PAE-///SrOA'/i  •  AMERICA. 


Niitional  Museum  of  Mexico  contains  numerous  and  inter- 
esting agate,  coral,  and  shell  ornaments.  The  Christy  col- 
lection  of  London  is  no  less  rich,  and  from  it  we  illustrate  a 
chalcedony  knife.  The  handle  is  a  mosaic  n^ade  o{  tur- 
quoises,  malachite,  and  white  or  red  shells.  It  is  surprisini; 
to  find  a  people  still  in  the  stone  age  executing  .such  delicate 
work  with  the  wretched  implements  we  know  of. 

To  sum  up,  every  thing  goes  to  j)rove  that  the  ancient 
races  of  Central  America  possessed  an  advanced  culture, 
exact   ideas  on  certain  arts  and   sciences,  and   remarkable 


Fig,  159. — Knife  wilh  chalcedony  blade,  in  the  Christy  collection. 

technical  knowledge.  i\s  pointed  out  in  1S69  by  Morgan, 
in  tlie  North  American  Rcviczv,  tlic  .Spanish  succeeded  in 
destroying  in  a  few  years  a  civilization  undoubtedly  superior 
in  many  respects  to  that  which  they  endeavored  to  substi- 
tute for  it.  We  are  not  at  all  suri)rised  at  this  severe  juilg- 
ment,  which  we  should  endorse  if  we  did  not  think  that  tiic 
suppression  of  the  human  sacrifices,  of  which  we  have  ilc- 
scribed  the  gloomy  horrors,  oiiglit  to  be  taken  into  account 
before  pronouncing  a  final  judgment  on  the  peoples  of  the 
New  World  and  on  their  cruel  and  bigoted  conquerors. 


!'<'  ' 


^> 


r| 


r 


) 


nd  intcr- 
iristy  col- 
lustratc  ;i 
c  of  tiir- 
uri^risini; 
1  delicate 

c  ancient 
1  culture, 
markable 


ection. 

'  Morf];an, 

ceeded   in 

\-  sui)t'ri(ir 

to  suhsti- 

ere  JuiI^l;-- 

<  that  the 

have  ile- 

)  account 

es  of  the 

rors. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


PERU. 


TliK  chain  of  the  Andes  traverses  the  whole  of  South 
America,  ami  near  the  boundary  between  Bolivia  and  Chili 
it  divides  into  two  branches,  the  principal  still  called  the 
Cordillera  of  the  Andes,  and  the  other  and  nearer  to  the 
Pacific  the  Cordillera  de  la  Costa  parallel  with  the  Pacific, 
which  enclose  between  them,  at  a  heit^ht  of  above  3.000  feet, 
the  ])esa,L,niadero,  a  vast  table-land,  the  area  of  which  is 
ecpial  to  that  of  France.  i\t  one  of  I'le  extremities  of  this 
table-land  is  Potosi,  the  most  elevated  town  of  the  L;lobe, 
13,350  feet  above  the  sea  level  ;  and  on  the  north  is  Cuzco, 
the  ancient  capital  of  the  Incas ;  whilst  between  them  lies 
Lake  Titicaca,  the  t^reatest  body  of  fresh  water  in  South 
America. 

The  whole  country  is  dreary  and  desolate;  no  luxuriant 
vctjetation  breaks  the  t;l()()m  of  the  landscape;  cereals  can- 
not ri])en,  and  animals  are  rare,  lietween  the  Cordillera  de 
la  Costa  and  tiie  ocean  are  arid  rocks,  sands  on  which  noth- 
ing can  yrow,  resembling  the  great  deserts  of  Africa,'  with  a 
few  valleys,  formed  by  the  tributaries  of  the  Amazon,  and 
swallowed  up  in  these  vast  solitudes,  the  sole  possessors  of 
the  wealth  of  tropical  nature. 

Nowhere  in  the  world,  perhaps,  has  man  displayed  greater 
energy.  It  was  in  these  desolate  regions  that  arose  the  most 
powerful  and  most  highly  civilized  empire  of  the  two 
Americas,  and  at  the  present  day  its  memory  is  everywhere 
preserved  in  the  imposing  ruins  covering  the  country,  the 

'  "  Sahar.-i  is  a  thing  of  beauty,  and  Arizona  a  joy  forever,  compared  with, 
the  coast  of  Peru."     Squier,  "  Peru,"  p.  25. 

387 


ti' 


IV  i 

1  n 


I  ^-1 


I 


# 


"4-1  I 


* 


I 


388 


rh'l  -//rSTOh'lC  AMEKK.  .1. 


fortress  dcfondiiiL,'  it,  the  roads  intersecting  it.  the  accqiihis 
or  canals  conductini,^  the  water  needed  lor  fertiM/.inj^^  the 
i'lelds,  the  ttviihos  or  liouses  of  refiii^e  in  the  mountains  for 
the  use  of  travellers.'  the  potteries,  the  linen  and  cottnn 
cloth,  and  the  ornaments  of  t;old  ami  silver  concealed  in  tlu 
<;raves.  and  which  are  souj;ht  for  by  the  J'o/'aJns  with  insati- 
able zeal.' 

The  empire  of  the  Incas,  M  which  we  are  now  to  speak, 
was  thri-e  thousaiul  miles  in  len-lh  by  four  huiuhi'il  in 
width,  between  S.  l.at.  4  and  34  --/.  ...  from  the  rivir 
And.ismayo  of  the  north  tif  (Juito  to  the  ri\ir  M.iule  in 
Chili.  It  incUuUtl  within  its  lin\its  l\  ru,''  IJolivia,  I'A'ua- 
dor.  i)art  of  Chili,  and  the  .\rL;entinc  l\i])ublic.  It  was  as 
much  as  oni'  million  square  miles  ii\  area,  and  when,  under 
the   Inca    I  lu.ivna-Capac,   it    had    riMclu-d    the    cidmin.itini; 

'  Till'  (J'|Uitluui  ii.uia-  wa-.  tiinipii,  and  A/w/v  i,  a  Spanish  cciriuiilii'ii. 

"  .Moiilt>iiiiis  :  "  Mciiiiiiia>  aiilii;iias  lii^Unialc^  <lcl  1'i.rii."  'rciiiaux  Ci)iiij)aii- 
puljlislifil  a  T'lcncli  liaii^latimi  In  I^V  ;  it^  fails  aiu  iiiini;lr.l  with  nianv 
fablis.  ("iarcila»o  ilc  l.i  ^  cya  ;  "  l.ns  ('oniciilaiios  nalc-.  i|ui'  tralan  ikl  (iiij;iii 
lie  liK  Inias,  ti'Vis  que  fiuion  (kl  I'lru,"  2  viils.fol.,  l.i>l)cin,  ificij-l^ld  ; 
"Ili-l  (11-.  Int\w,  iKi^  (In  I'cnui,"  !■  iL'm  li  llan^Ialin||,  I'arU,  1744.  It  i^  llif 
nii)--l  conii'lL'tf  ai'cmint  whiih  wi- havcof  the  Iii>tiiry  of  ihf  Inia-.,  Inn  Ciartil.i'So, 
from  Ills  rctiicnicnt  in  Sjiain,  wiotc  ftnly  )•L•al•^  after  tlic  events  of  which  lie  was 
witness,  .inil  with  an  evident  i>artiality  fm"  tiie  Incas,  fiom  whom  ho  wa^ 
descended  by  the  mother's  side.  "  lies  relacions  de  An'.it;m'dades  I'eruanas 
jinlilitalas  el  Miiiistcrio  de  l<imento,"  Madrid,  1871;.  Tliis  volume  eoiitaiiis 
"  Relaciun  por  el  l.icenciailo  I'eniando  de  Saniillon  "  :  "  Kel.  Anonima  "  ; 
"  Kil.  jior  I >.  Joan  de  Santa Cni/.  I'achaeiili."  IIuiiilioMl  :  "  N'uesdesrordilleres 
et  Mon.  des  Peuples  indij^eius  de  1'  Anicriiiue,"  I'aiis,  iSlo.  IVOrhiyiiy  : 
"  l-'IIoiuine  Ainericain,"  I'ari>,  1S34-1S47  (Extract  from  "  Voy.  dans  I'Amer. 
Meridionale,"  9  vols.,  4).  1"..  de  Kivcro  t'l  'rseliiidi  :  "  Antiguedades  Penianas," 
Vienna,  iS.si,  and  "  1  )ie  Kecluia  Spiaelie,"  \ieiina,  1S53.  \V.  II.  I're.scott  : 
"Hist,  of  llic  C'tJiujiiest  of  I'eru,"  7tli  edition,  London,  1S54.  Ihitchiii.son  : 
"  Two  Years  in  Peru."  E.  Dcsjardins  :  "  Le  IVrou  av.iiit  hi  Concjurie  l'!s]ia<;- 
nole,"  Paris,  1858.  \V.  liollaert :  "  .\nti(|iiariaii,  !".liinoli>j;ical,  and  other 
Rcsarches  in  New  Granada,  Mcuador,  Pern,  and  Chili,"  I.omion,  iSfio.  Mateo 
Pa/  Soldan :  "  Geog.  del  Peru,"  Paris,  1S62.  V.  F.  I.ojicz  :  "Pes  Races 
Aryennes  du  Perou,"  Paris  and  Montevideo,  1S71.  S(|uier  :  "  Peru,  Incidents 
of  Travel  and  Exploration  in  the  Land  of  the  Ineas,"  2d  edition,  London,  187S. 
C.  Wiener  :  "  Perou  ct  P)oIivie,"  Paris,  Ilachette,  1S80. 

""The  name  of  Peru  is  a  Spani.sh  invention.    The  inhabitants  called  it  Tavan- 
lisuyu,  literally  "  the  Jour  parts  of  the-corUi." 


It 


I 


w 


ziiii;  the 
l.iiiis  fur 
il  (.■ottmi 
I'd  ill  the 
th  insati- 


lulrctl  ill 
the  rivrr 
Mauli-  ill 
i.i,  I'A'iia- 
l  was  as 
■n,  iiiulrr 
niinatini; 

lull. 

iix  Coinpaii- 

willi    in.iiiv 

.11  lU'l  (ui^'fii 

If)0(j-i6i0  ; 

It  is  llif 

<  'i.ucila.-.so, 

lii  li  lie  wns 

om   he  \va^ 

cs  I'cruanas 

lie   i<iiil:uns 

ViiDiiini.i  "  ; 

r(iiilillerc:i 

IVOrhiiMiy  : 

nis  rAintr. 

renianas," 

I'le^icott  ; 

iiUliiiisuii  : 

to  i:s])ay- 

and    otiici' 

)0.      Mateo 

l.es  Races 

,  Inciderts 

on,  187S. 

;1  it  Tavan- 


riiku. 


389 


point  of  its  grandeur,  its  population  may  possibly  have  num- 
bered from  ten  to  eleven  million  souls.' 

The  orij^in  of  the  Incas  is  unknown,  and  there  is  nothint; 
known  of  the  real  histor)-  of  the  country  covering  more  than 
four  hundreil  years  before  the  Si)anish  ciincjuest.  Accord 
ing  to  tradition  Manco-Capac  and  the  beautiful  Mama-tKllo, 
liis  sister  and  his  wife,  made  known  the  first  elements  of 
civilization  to  tribes  which  had  previously  been  savai^e  and 
barbarous.  In  obedience  to  them  these  men  broke  their 
idols  to  .idore  a  spirit,  Creator  and  Preserver  of  the  world,  of 
whom  the  sun  and  the  nu)on  were  the  visible  form.  .Mon- 
tesinos  ^ives  the  history  of  one  hundred  and  one  rulers 
who,  after  Manet )-Capa^  ,  ',\:  the  head-dress  pliant  11)  diiiot- 
ini;  their  sovereJLjntx',  and  ,c  dates  their  origin  from  the  fifth 
century  before  the  delude. 

In  tliis  account  a  little  truth  is  mixed  with  nuicli  fable.  It 
is  cert.iiii  that  before  the  time  of  Maiico-(.'ai).ic  the  in- 
habitants of  the  coimlr)'  were  b)-  no  means  pluiv^ed  in 
barbarism.  Tiu-  ( J<|uieliiia  culture  had  a  past,  of  which  the 
tlu'ocratic  .iiid  social  oiL;,iiii/atioii  fouiukd  by  the  first  Iiica 
was  but  a  tlr\x'Ioj)iiu'iil.  N'uiiurous  buil(liiiL;s  are  un- 
doubtedl)-  earlier  than  the  Incas,  at  least  than  those  of 
whom  authentic  liistor\-  has  jjreserved  an  account.  They 
are  distiiv^uislieil  b_\'  llieir  more  massi\e  character,  their 
boUKr  ,iiid  iiiori'  artistic  constriiclioii,  and  b)'  cirtain  L;i.:iu:ral 
features  presentiiii;  some  resemblances  to  suiulr\'  Asiatic 
monuments.''  .\s  for  the  narrative  of  Montesiiios  it  doubt- 
less refers  in  i)art  to  the  history  of  different  people  or  tribes, 
the  union  of  which  later  formed  the  dominion  of  the  Incas. 
These  people  certainly  had  common  bonds  of  union.  A 
curious  analogy  is  presented  by  the  monuments  which  may 
be  attributed  to  them,  the  sepulchral  tumuli,  fortresses,  and 
temples  preserve   similaritijs  of    style   from   Arica    to  San 

'  .V  census  ordered  by  Philip  II.  indicated  no  more  than  eii^ht  million  two 
hundred  and  eighty  thousand,  and  at  the  present  day  the  population  of  these 
countries  docs  not  amount  to  half  this  number. 

''.\ngrand  :  "  I.ettre  sur  les  .Anticiuites  de  'riaguanaco,"  I'aris,  iS66.  Allen  : 
"  La  ties  .Vncienne  .\nierifnie,"  Nancy,  1S74. 


II 
I 

i 


I 


•  ' 


I 


'('■ 


'1 


m 


-1 


.    ! 


390 


I 


PRE-IIISTORIC  AMERICA. 


Josd ;  everywhere  the  ornaments.  potter}%  and  mode  of 
burial  arc  identical ;  every  thing  indicates  a  common 
origin. 

At  the  time  of  the  Spanish  conquest  those  aboriginal  races 
w  ere  represented  by  the  Aymaras,  who  inhabited  the  table- 
land of  the  Andes,  and  the  Ocpiichuas,  established  around 
Cuzco.'  D'Orbigny  is  of  opinion  that  the  differences  be- 
tween them  were  rather  apparent  than  real.  There  arc 
decided  analogies  in  the  grammatical  structure  of  their 
language  ;  a  great  number  of  the  words  are  the  same,  and 
the  differences  we  notice  are  such  as  are  usually  met  with  in 
dialects  eminating  from  a  single  source."  Side  by  side  with 
Lhese  undeniable  relations,  however,  there  are  dissimilarities 
so  marked  that  they  muse  be  attributed  to  different  biologi- 
cal conditions,  and  we  conclude  that,  if  there  be  a  kinship 
between  these  races,  their  common  origin  must  be  carried 
back  to  a  remote  period. 

To  sum  up:  In  the  present  state  of  knowledge,  it  is 
difficult  to  determine  the  connection  between  the  Aymaras 
and  the  Oquichuas,  and  we  cannot  do  better  than  compare 
it  with  that  which  we  have  pointed  out  between  ■e  Mayas 
and  the  Quiches,  or  better  still  between  the  Toltecs  and 
t!ie  Aztecs.  Whilst  admitting  the  possibility  of  this  hy- 
pothesis, there  is  yet  another,  even  more  plausible,  which 
Humboldt  was  the  first  to  advance,  and  which  iVngrand  u[>- 
holdswilh  weighty  reasons.  The  Oquichuas  may  have  come 
from  the  p.orth,  probably  several  centuries  after  the  Aymaras, 
and  we  must  look  for  their  ancestors  among  the  prolific  races 
of  Central  America.' 

'Markliam:  "  The  Tribes  of  the  Empire  of  the  Iticas,"  Royal  tieog.  Soc, 
1S71.  D'Orbigny:  "  L'llomme  Amuicain,"  vol.  II.,  p.  306.  I-orbes  :  "  The 
Aymara  Indians,"  Joiou.  oj  the  Ethn.  Soc,  London,  XS70.  Ch.  Wiener; 
"  rcrou  el  Bolivia,"  Paris,  iS3o. 

'Don  V.  F.  Lopez  supposed  Qquichua  to  be  an  Aryan  language  ;  but  in  that 
case  would  it  have  remained  agglutinative  with  words  such  as  ManaitccalUiby- 
ctuiiUahiiancupasraoichH  {they  have  110/  had  the  kindness  or  the  eharity  to  think 
of  me).  See  also  Tschudi  :  "  Die  Kechua  Sprachc,"  Cong,  des  American- 
istes,  Luxembourg,  1S77,  vol.  II.,  p.  75. 

'  Angrand,  /.  c,  p.  -^t  et  seq. 


PERU. 


391 


mode  of 
•    common 

ginal races 
the  table- 
ed  around 
rences  be- 
There    are 
2    of   their 
same,  and 
let  with  in 
side  with 
similarities 
nt  bioioijji- 
a  kinsliip 
be  carried 

:^d<^e,  it  is 

A}-maras 

compare 

"e  i\Ia)'as 

)Itecs  and 

f   this  hy- 

>le,  which 

rand  up- 

ave  come 

\}'maras, 

lific  races 


CJoog.  Soc, 
JOS  :  ' '  The 
h.  Wiener : 


rl 


but  in  tiiat 

nanccallaby- 

■ity  to  think 

American- 


Setting  aside  conjectures  more  or  less  justified,  the  native 
account  generally  accepted  shows  us  Manco-Capac  reigning 
from  102 1  to  io6r,  while  by  another  version  he  only  reigned 
thirty-six  years  and  died  in  1054.  Fourteen  Incas  succeeded 
him,  several  of  whom  were  remarkable  men,  under  whom 
the  government  became  consolidated  and  increased  in  terri- 
tory.' The  last  was  Atahualpa,  whose  short  reign  was 
marked  by  a  fierce  struggle  with  his  brother  Huascar,  and 
by  the  cruel  massacres  which  terminated  it. 

A  more  dangerous  enemy  was  about  to  appear  ;  Pizarro 
disembarked  in  the  Bay  of  San  Mateo  in  1534,'  having  with 
him  three  vessels,  174  men  and  twenty-seven  horses.  A 
little  later  he  received  a  reinforcement  of  130  men.  It  was 
boforc  those  feeble  forces  that  the  empire  of  the  Incas  was 
to  succumb.  Atahualpa  was  beaten  and  made  prisoner  at 
Caxalmalca.  A  little  later,  implicated  in  a  probably  imagi- 
nary conspiracy,  he  was  condemned  to  perish  by  fire.  In 
vain  he  offered,  to  save  his  life,  to  fill  one  of  the  rooms  of  his 
palace,  as  high  as  a  Spaniard  on  fo-^t  could  reach  with  his 
hand,  with  ornaments,  vases,  and  gold  and  silver  jewels. 
This  room,  according  to  Xeres  the  secretary  of  Pizarro,  was 
twenty-two  feet  long  by  seventeen  wide  The  conquista- 
dores  accepted  his  riches,  but  the  only  favor  the  unfortunate 
Inca  could  obtain,  and  that  on  condition  that  he  would  re- 
ceive baptism,  was  that  of  being  strangled  instead  of  being 
burnt.  The  notary  Sanchez  has  preserved  for  us  the  act, 
dated  the  17th  of  June,  1533,  sanctioning  the  division  of  the 
ransom  of  the  Inca.  Pizarro  received  for  his  share  2350 
marks  of  silver  and  57,220  pieces  of  gold ;  his  brother 
Hernandez,  1,267  marks  of  silver  and  31,080  pieces  of  gold. 
The  church  deducted  to  begin  with,  as  tithe,  90  marks 
of  silver  and  2,220  pieces  of  gold. 

It  is  not  our  intention  to  relate  here,  either  the  history' 

'  "  No  ha  habido  en  la  tierra  monarcas  mas  despoticos  que  los  Incas,  Eran 
adorados  conio  seras  sobrinaturales."  P.TZ-Soldan,  "Geog.  del  Peru." 

'^  A  first  exploration  of  the  coast  of  Peru  by  Pizarro  took  place  in  1524,  under 
the  reign  of  Huayna-Capae.  F.  Xeres  :  "  Rel.  de  la  Conq.  du  Perou  "  ;  Ternaux- 
Compans,  translation. 

^"Itineraries    of    Francisco   and   Hernandez   Pizarro,"   published   for   the 


I! 


?' 


[■    ; 


Jii, 


*j  If 


.1 


^' 


¥. 


392 


PKE-IIISTOKIC  AMERICA. 


\ 


of  the  Incas  or  tliat  of  the  Spanish  domination.  What  we 
want  to  do  is  to  make  known  the  strange  people  who,  in 
spite  of  the  obstacles  due  to  an  inhospitable  region,  suc- 
ceeded in  occup\-ing  the  first  place  among  the  nations  (if 
South  America;  and  this  we  shall  do  b\-  describing-  the 
ruins,  and  products  of  art  and  industry,  left  behind  b)' them, 
and  b\'  studying  their  manners,  laws,  and  religious  ideas. 
We  shall  tell  what  were  I'achacam.ic,  C'himu,  Tiaguanaco. 
Titic.ica,  Cuzco,  and  other  towns.  ^\  ith  the  iinportant  nionu- 
n;ents  of  every  kind,  of  which  the  ruins  bear  witness.  Un- 
fortunatvh'  man  is  dailv  bus\'in  effecting  their  destruction  ; 
intoxi..ated  b\'  the  innumerable  legends  on  the  hidden  riches 
of  the  Incas,  the  treasure-seekers  or  tapadas  dig  ze.dousl)- 
everywhere;  the  v/alls  are  crumbling  beneath  the  pick-axe; 
the  sculptures  are  breaking ;  the  subterranean  pas-;ages  are 
falling  in  ;  all  the  niementos  of  a  great  past  are  disappearing, 
and  nun  are  oxerturning  in  an  instant  what  has  been  re- 
si)ecte(l  for  centuries. 

Pachacamac  '  is  situated  on  the  Pacific,  twenty  miles  from 
Lima.  A  {^\\  miserable  leeil  luils  lia\e  replacetl  the  sacred 
town  of  the  ancient  Peruvians,  with  a  few  ruins,  tlifllcult  even 
to  describe,  of  monuments  that  at  the  time  of  the  arrival  <tf 
the  first  Inca,  were  alread_\-  oKl.  A  silence,  scarcel)'  broken 
by  the  llight  of  a  few  coiid(ir>,  reigns  in  tlistricts  where  pil- 
grimages once  attracted  an  innneiise  concourse  of  the  faith- 
tul,  and  a  single  bmaal-place  (figs.  160,.  161 )  of  considerable 
extent,  remains  the  sole  witness  of  b)gone  grandeur. 

According  to  Estete,  one  of  the'  companions  of  Hernandez 
Pizarro,  who  was  sent  b)-  his  brollier  to  reduce  Pachacamac 
to  submission,  the  town  w.is  large,  antl  near  the  temple  rose 
a  house  surrounded  by  a  series  of  ti\e  walls  which  was  called 
"The  house  of  the  Sun."  There  were  also,  he  tells  us, 
many  other  large  houses,  with  terraces  similar  to  those  met 
with    in    Spain.      It   must   have   been   a  very  ancient  town, 

Hakluyt  Society  by  C.  R.   Markli.im,  London,  1S72.     Consult  Desjardins'  ex- 
cellent work,  "  Le  Peiou  avant  la  Con(|iale  Espajjnole." 

'  Vxowx  pacha,  the  earth,  and  taiuac,  participle  of  camani  to  create.  Desjar- 
dins (note  I,  p.  23,)  however  gives  another  elyni')loi,'y. 


,-^..l 


I 


'> 


PERU. 


393- 


judging  from  the  numerous  buildings  in  ruins.  At  the  time 
of  this  writer  the  whole  town  was  surrounded  by  a  wall, 
already  in  ruins  in  several  places,  and  with  large  doors  open- 
ing out  of  it. 

El  Castillo,  to  which  Estete's  description  doubtless  refers, 
rose  from  a  rock  500  feet  above  the  sea-levcl.  The  walls  of 
the  rock  were  faced  with  adobes  painted  red,  forming  four 
terraces,"  one  behind  the  other.  This  is  an  arrangement 
resembling   that   noticed  in    Central    America,''   and    bears 


Fu;.  160. — Peruvian  mummy.  I'lc  161. — Pciuvian  mummy. 

witness  to  the  relation  which  certainly  existed  between  the 
inhabitants  of  the  two  areas.  The  platform  covers  several 
acres  of  ground,  and  on  it  the  ruins  of  what  were  once  im- 
portant buildings  can  still  be  discerned.  The  temple  faced 
the  south.  Estete  goes  on  to  tell  us  that  it  was  a  fine 
house,  well  painted  and  decorated,  and  that  in  a  very  dark 
and  offensively-smelling  recess,  always  kept  closed,  was  a 
wooden  idol,  which  represented  for  these  people  the  image 

'Such  is  Squier's  account.  Wilkes  ("U.S.  Exploring  Expedition  ")  and 
Markham  ("  Cuzco  and  Lima  ")  speak  of  only  three  terraces. 

"  The  pyramidal  mound  of  Cholula  may  especially  be  compared  with  it. 
Hutchinson  :  "  Two  Years  in  Peru,"  vol.  1.,  p.  i5()-303.  Markham  ;  "  Cuzc>^ 
and  Lima." 


f 


'•\l 


11 


IIU> 


; 
\  ■ 


1 


394 


PRE-IIISTORIC  AMERICA. 


!•; 


S 


i^ 


t« 


of  the  Creator.  At  its  feet  were  numerous  gold  and  silver 
ornaments,  the  offerings  of  the  worshippers  of  the  god. 
None  but  the  priest  were  allowed  to  enter  this  recess. 

After  a  visit  to  the  sanctuary,  which  quite  stupefied  the 
natives  with  astonishment,  Hernandez  destroyed  the  image 
of  Pachacamac,  after  whom  the  town  was  called.  He  was 
still  more  eager  to  take  possession  of  the  treasure,  and  con- 
temporary chroniclers  relate  that  the  Spanish  t)btaincd 
twent\'-seven  cargas '  of  gold  and  l6,000  ounces  of  siKer; 
unfortunately,  they  add,  they  were  not  able  to  discover  the 
principal  treasure  which  may  have  amounted  to  400  cargas 
of  gold. 


Fig.  162.— Niclie  in  a  wall  at  I'acliafamac. 

A  mile  and  a  half  fmm  I'.l  Caslillo.  near  a  little  lake,  the 
ruins  of  a  nuns'  convent  (Mamacuna)  still  exist.  The  de- 
tails of  the  structure  remind  us  of  those  of  tiie  buiklings  of 
thelncas;  and  the  erection  of  this  convent  is  therefore  at- 
tributed to  them;  by  skilful  policy  they  were  careful  to 
show  veneration  for  this  spot,  so  sacred  to  their  subjects. 

Garcillasso  relates  that  the  whole  of  the  coast,  from  Trux- 
illo.  a  modern  town  founded  in  1535  by  I'i/.arro,  to  Tumbez, 
for  an  extent  of  more  than  six  hundred  and  twenty-five 
miles,  belonged  to  a  people  known  under  the  name  of  Chimus. 

'  The  carga  ecjuals  about  62  lbs. 


% 


\ 

>i1  \ 


m 


Y<\ 


I 


PERU. 


395 


f 
1 


Montesinos  alone  speaks  of  the  origin  of  this  people.  His 
idea  is  that  the  strangers  came  from  the  ocean,  and  that, 
more  warlike  and  better  armed  than  the  natives,  they  rapidly 
reduced  to  submission  all  who  lived  between  the  sea  and  the 
mountains.  We  have  already  remarked  that  Montesinos'  ac- 
counts must  be  received  with  caution  ;  but  in  this  case  they 
are  corroborated  by  the  singular  resemblance  of  the  "  hua- 
cas  "  we  arc  about  to  describe,  with  the  tcocallis  of  Mexico 
and  Central  America.  Such  a  resemblance  cannot  be  acci- 
dental. Historians  add  '  that,  at  the  time  of  Pachacutec, 
the  ninth  Inca,  the  country  was  governed  by  Chimu-Canchu, 
who  was  greatly  dreaded  by  his  neighbors.  Yupanqui,  son 
of  Pachacutec,  wished  to  compel  Canchu  to  acknowledge 
himself  the  vassal  of  Pachacutec,  ^md  to  give  up  the  worship 
of  animals,"  and  to  adore  the  sun-god.  A  bloody  war  suc- 
ceeded the  refusal  of  Canchu  ;  but  the  Chimus  were  com- 
pelled to  give  way  before  superior  numbers  and  submit  to 
the  conquerors.  From  this  moment  until  the  arrival  of  the 
Spanish,  their  history  maj'  be  summed  up  as  a  perpetual 
series  of  revolts  which  show  their  horror  of  a  foreign  yoke. 

Their  capital,  which  also  bore  the  name  of  Chimn,  cov- 
ered a  considerable  area.  The  ruins  extended  from  the  Monte 
Campana  t)n  the  north  to  the  Rio  Moche  on  the  south,  over 
an  area  of  twelve  and  one  half  to  fifteen  miles  long  by  from 
five  to  five  and  a  half  miles  wide 

In  every  direction,  for  an  e.Ktent  of  several  leagues,  long 
lines  of  massive  walls,  huacas,"  palaces,  aqueducts,  reservoirs 
of  water,  and  granaries  can  be  made  out.  Every  thing 
proves  the  power  and  wealth  of  a  people,  the  very  name  of 
whom  has  remained  uncertain.     ^ 

Of  the  monuments,  the  huacas  are  the  most  important. 

'  Garcilasso,  /.  <•.,  vol.  I.  p.  234. 

■■'  The  anim.ils  which  were  the  objects  of  their  adoration  were  probably  sym- 
bolical ;  fishes,  the  tortoise,  and  the  crab  represented  water ;  the  serpent  and 
the  lizard,  the  earth.  The  lance,  .ilso  met  with  in  the  temple,  is  supposed  to 
have  been  the  symbol  of  thunder  and  lightning. 

•'The  word  huaca  usually  denotes  a  sepulchre,  but  its  meaning  is  extended  to 
embrace  any  consecrated  or  venerated  spot. 


'I 


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396 


r/^E-I/IS rOA'JC  .1  MJ.h'JCA. 


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) 
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Tliis  is  a  name  given  to  truncated  pyramids  nearly  al\va\s 
built  of  stones,  cemented  with  a  very  plastic  clay  and  form- 
ing a  durable  conglomerate.  The  Obispo  huaca,  one  of  the 
most  remarkable,  is  no  less  than  t)ne  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
high,  with  a  base  t)f  five  hundred  and  eighty  feet  scpiare  ;  it 
covers,  says  Squier,'  an  area  of  eight  acres,  and  it  is  esti- 
mated that  nearly  fifty  million  cubic  feet  of  materials  were 
used  in  its  construction.  Kxcavations  have  been  made  on 
the  faith  of  legends  telling  of  subterranean  chambers  filleil 
with  gold  and  silver,  ami  Squier,  one  of  the  last  travellers  to 
visit  it,  tells  us  that  it  looks  from  a  distance  like  the  huge 
crater  of  a  volcano. 

Another  huaca  rises  ni>t  far  froin  Obispo,  in  the  centre  of 
an  enclosure  e)f  adobe  two  hundred  ami  fift\'-two  feet  by  two 
hundred  and  twent)-two.  lis  walls  measure  fourteen  feet 
in  height  by  six  feet  in  breadth  at  their  base.  We  mention 
it,  though  its  height  is  not  considerable,  on  account  of  the 
bones  which  it  encloses,  ami  which  are  the  best  proof  we 
have  of  the  purpose  of  at  least  a  certain  number  of  these 
Iniacas. 

The  abodes  of  the  deail,  in  e\cry  variety  of  form,  ajipear 
to  be  the  last  mementos  of  this  people,  ami  are  met  with  all 
about  the  neighborhood  of  Chinui.  i\  vast  sand)'  plain 
stretches  away  to  the  sea,  overlooked  by  a  hill  on  which 
rises  a  huaca.  like  an  outjjosl  ;  this  plain  is  covered  with 
graves,  where  lay  skeletons  very  irregularl)'  buried  in  the 
most  varied  positions,  victims  doubtless  of  the  battles  in 
which  the  Chimus  defended  their  indepentlence.  This  is 
a  plausible  idea,  for  a  great  man\-  skulls  are  fractured  as  if 
by  the  blow  of  a  club,  and  others  have  holes  in  them,  such 
as  might  have  been  made  by  the  bronze  arrow-points  picked 
up  in  the  same  place. 

Skirting  along  this  plain  we  come  to  the  little  village  of 
Mo,-he.  This  village  possesses  a  huaca,  which  passes  as  the 
'•^        considerable  of  any  in  the  country.'     /:"/  tcmplo  del  Sol 

'  "   p.   120. 

•  ,  ii-  •■  :    "  I'crii."  |i.  130. 


I 


PERU. 


197 


(all  the  important  ruins  of  Peru  are  called  temples  of  the 
sun)  is  a  rectangular  buildintj  eight  hundred  feet  long  by 
four  hundred  and  seventy  broad.  It  covers  an  area  of  more 
than  seven  acres,  and  its  greatest  height  is  two  hundred  feet. 
Ihe  mode  of  construction  is  very  peculiar:  Huge  blocks  of 
adobes,  at  a  short  distance  from  one  another,  form  pillars, 
inclined  at  an  angle  of  seventy-seven  degrees.  These  pillars 
were  covered  with  a  very  thick  stucco  which  secured  the 
stability  of  the  platform,  which  was  crowned  by  several 
buildings,  of  which  no  traces  can  be  made  out.  At  the 
southern  extremity  rises  a  truncated  pyramid,  formed  of  re- 
ceding terraces  one  above  the  other.  Seven  of  these  terraces 
are  still  standing  and  an  attentive  examination  justifies  us 
in  assuming  the  original  number  to  have  been  nine;  the 
summit  was  reached  by  a  slope  so  gentle  as  to  be  impercep- 
tible. The  rooms,  recesses,  and  subterranean  passages  have 
been  excavated,  but  without  more  success  than  at  the 
Obispo  huaca.  All  they  revealed  was  that  these  two  huacas 
were  not  burial-places,  as  was  at  first  supposed. 

The  palace '  included  an  irregular  series  of  buildings  in 
adobes,  covering  an  area  of  several  acres,  and  rising  from  a 
mound  made  up  of  successive  terraces.  The  external  walls 
were  ornamented  in  such  a  manner  as  to  break  their  mo- 
notony. We  give  a  drawing  of  one  of  the  most  usual  modes 
of  treatment,  wliich  will  give  an  idea  of  the  general  effect 
(fig.  163).  The  interior  included  a  series  of  halls,  rooms, 
corridors  and  vaulted  crypts.  One  of  these  rooms  is  more 
than  fifty-two  feet  in  width;  but  its  length  remains  uncer- 
tain, on  account  of  the  rubbish  with  which  it  is  choked  up. 
It  certainly,  however,  exceeded  one  hundred  feet.  The 
walls  are  richly  ornamented  with  stuccos  in  relief,  fine  ara- 
besques, and  Greek  frets,  reminding  us  of  those  of  Mitla.  At 
a  height  of  about  twelve  feet  we  notice  several  niches  five 
feet  wide.  These  niches  are  one  of  the  most  striking  charac- 
teristics of  Peruvian  architecture,  but  it  is  impossible  to  as- 

'  We  retain  the  name  palace  given  by  Squier.     This  building,  or  rather  this 
collection  of  buildings,  was  evidently  used  as  a  palace. 


>' 


\ 


!i 


II 


I 


398 


PKE-HIS  TORU '   A  M ERICA . 


certain  thinr  purpose.  In  other  rooms  llie  walls  are  covciid 
with  a  coatiiii;  of  color,  generally  dark  red.  There  is  a  cor- 
ridor, the  door  opening  into  which  consists  of  a  double  nnv 
of  pilasters,  whilst  the  walls  arc  covered  with  fii'iires  in  re- 
lief, which  have  been  supposed  to  represent  nionke\s,  c.irr\- 
ing  on  their  heads  a  sort  of  lialf  moon.  This  ornament  nuist 
have  had  some  special  signification,  for  it  is  often  repeated 
on  the  pottery  and  metal  vases  of  the  Chinius. 


■*<■>._ 
•'.'.( 


.i^.' 


^il•.^■j*     ••'?X- 


'^■•^ 


M 


Fig.   163.  — Ruined  walls  at  Cliiinu. 

Colonel  la  Rosa,  one  of  the  most  eager  and  fortunate  of 
the  tapadas,  discovered  in  a  vault  of  the  shape  of  a  well, 
which  he  had  to  get  into  through  a  narrow  opening,  a  cm- 
siderable  collection  of  gold  and  silver  vases  (fig.  164^  some 
of  which  were  covered  with  ornaments  in  njlirf.  The  Ixxly 
of  these  vases  was  very  thin,  those  in  silver  had  a  large  ad- 
mixture of  copper,  and  were  in  such  a  state  of  oxidation  that 
they  broke  in  the  fingers  of  the  excavators.     Unfortunatel)-, 


PERU. 


399- 


C  CO\t  Ttcl 

is  ;i  c(ir- 
lublc  row 
res  in  iv- 
\s,  cany- 
lent  nnist 

repeated 


mate  ot 
a  well, 
,  a  etin- 
),  s(inie 
le  1)(k1}- 
iL;e  ad- 
ion  that 
jnatel)', 


nearly  all  were  melted  down  immediately  after  their  discov- 
ery. The  vase  of  which  we  give  a  drawinj^  is  in  the  Squicr 
collection,  and  is  one  of  the  few  which  have  been  preserved. 
The  disorder  in  which  these  costly  articles,  evidently  hidden 
in  haste,  were  found,  leads  us  to  suppose  that  an  effort  was 
made  to  place  them  in  safety,  either  during  the  struggles  be- 
tween the  Chimus  and  the  Incas,  or  on  the  arrival  of  the 
conquistadores. 

The  necropolis  of  the  rulers  of  Chiniu  was  a  short  distance 
from  their  palaces.'  An  excavation  has  laid  bare  walls  of 
immense  thickness,  the  length  of  which  has  nowhere  been 
verified.  \  staircase  led  to  a  series 
of  vaulted  chambers,  all  with  one  or 
more  niches.  In  these  niches  reclined 
dried-up  mummies,  the  skulls  of 
some  of  which  were  painted  red, 
while  others,  if  we  accept  Colonel  La 
Rosa's  account,  were  gilded.  The 
bodies  were  clothed  in  rich  stufis, 
and  wore  feather  crowns  and  gold 
ami  siKer  ornaments.  These  orna- 
ments ha\'e  tlisai)[)eared,  and  Scpiier 
was  onh'  able  to  procure  a  few  frag- 
ments of  a  stuff  made  of  cotton  and 
wool,  with  figures  of  lizards  and  birds 
of  the  most  varied  colors  woven  in  Fig.  164.— Silver  cup  foiuul 
With  tile  wool. 

We  will  not  pause  to  give  a  detailed  account  of  all  the 
ruins  of  Chimu  ;  c I  Presidio,  the  prison,  alone  deserves  to  be 
excepted.  This  is  an  enclosure  320  feet  by  240,  surrounded 
by  a  wall  twenty-five  feet  high  by  five  and  a  half  at  the  base. 
In  the  centre  is  a  mound,  the  foundations  of  which,  of  ex- 
ceptional solidity,  rest  upon  huge  blocks  of  stone.  Excavai- 
tions  have  brought  to  light,  a  little  below  the  level  of  the 
soil,  forty-five  cells  arranged  in  five  rows,  and  without  any 
communication    between    them.     Hence   the   name    of  the 

'  Squicr:  "  Peru,"  p.  144. 


ii' 

t 


I    '1:      ,       I    I 


VI '^ 


mi 


1. 


7J 
•I' 


.400 


/'A7  -///.V y •( »A7('  . ; .)//  A7< ■.-/. 


i: 


% 


buiUliii^\  aiul  if  it  be  really  a  prison  the  inhabitants  of  (.hiimi 
were  the  first  to  conceive  the  ide.i  of  what  wc  may  call  the 
cellul.ir  s)steni.  Wimer  remarks  that  the  present  town, 
Iniill  in  133^,  has  l)i'en  thrown  down  three  times  by  earlh- 
ijuakes.  The  solidit)-  of  the  buildin|j[s  of  the  ancient  in- 
habitants enabled  them  to  r(.'>ist  these  terrible  shocks. 

.\t  Chimu  \\f  can  make  out  pri\'.ite  houses.  This  is  r.ue 
eiiouyh,  for  in  mo>t  ruined  towns  the  monuments  aloiU' have 
resisted  the  inroads  of  time,  .nid  the  f.ir  more  formid.ihlc 
dev.istation>  of  nian.  These  bui'.diiv^s,  sonu;  round,  sonic 
sipiare,  were  arranL;i.Hl  with  _i;reat  regularity  in  streets  or 
scjuares.  The  rooms,  of  course,  vary  in  numL)er  and  size,  the 
largest  reached  twenty-fue  feet  in  leni^th  b\-  twelve  in 
hei;^ln.  A  \er_\-  curious  piece  of  jxitler}-  rejircsents  a  house 
with  a  pointed  roof.  ,1  sinL;le  tloor,  .and  a  hole  in  the  ^ahle, 
probabl)'  to  ensure  ventilation.  These  must  have  been  the 
homes  of  the  people,  and  their  number  bears  witness  to  a 
considerabK'  population,' 

Tia;4uanaco"  rise:,  in  the  centre  of  a  basin  formed  by  two 
lakes  of  \er\-  unequal  ^i/e,  that  of  Titicaca  antl  that  of  Aul- 
laL^as,  on  a  table-l.uul  surrounded  by  lofty  mountains,  owr- 
looked  by  lll.nni)u,  which  is  lS,C)00  feet  h!i;h,  and  is  the 
loftiest  mountain  of  .South  America.  This  labledand  is 
12,0a:)  feet  above  the  le\el  <>f  the  sea,  almost  at  the  line  of 
peipilual  snow.  At  this  heiL;ht  vei^etation  is  impossible,  no 
cereal  can  ripen.  breathiuL;  is  difficult,  there  is  nothini;"  pro 
duced  b_\-  which  life  mii;ht  be  sustained. 

In  this  arid  and  desolate  rei^ion.  so  difficult  of  access,  men 
had.  howe\er,  erecteil  an  important  town  and  remarkable 
buildinL;-,'  (larcilasso  relates  that  when  M.iyta-Capac,  the 
fourth  Inca,  for  the  first  time  penetrated  into  the  country, 
the  si_L,dit  of  these  monuments  awoke  in  the  Peruvians  a  pro- 
found astonishment,  and   they  were  at  a  loss  to  make  out 

'  Squicr,  loc.   cit.,  p,  i8l, 

=  Such  i,  ihu  name  given  lo  Uie  town  l,y  the  Incas.     lis  ancient  name  remains 
u-iknown.     Anyrand  :   "  l.eltre  stir  k>  \m.  de  ■l'iat;uanaeo." 

■*  I)r~jardins  :     '•  l.e  IV'rou  avant   la   domination   Espaynole."      Rivery  and 

rvchiiili  :   '•  Ant.  I'eruanas," 


PERU. 


401 


what  processes  had  been  employed  in  their  construction. 
Tiaguanaco  was  the  seat  of  a  civilization  at  once  the  most 
ancient  and  the  most  brilliant  in  South  America.  This  con- 
tinned  contrast  between  nature  and  the  works  of  man  is  one 
of  the  most  interestiuLj  points  of  the  study  we  are  piirsuini;. 
On  his  arrival  in  the  midst  of  the  ruins,  the  expK)rer  is 
struck  by  the  number  of  monoliths  (fi^.  165)  placed  erect  at 
regular  intervals,  reminding;  us  of  those  of  Stonehenj^e '  in 
the  c>'clopean  size  of  the  stones  employed,'^  and  in  the  pro- 
fusion of  sculptures,  ornaments,  bas-reliefs,  and  statues  of 
colossal  size,  of  which  eight  have  thus  far  been  discovered. 


\ 


UL'  remains 


iiverv  anil 


l'"ui  165.— .Moniiliths  at  Tiaiiuanaco. 

The  ears  of  the  representations  of  human  heads  are  not 
distortcil,  which  is  yrt  another  proof  that  they  are  of  earlier 
date  than  the  Incas,  for  we  know  that  it  was  the  Inca  Roca 
who  introduceil  the  custom  of  wearing  heavy  earrings; 
hence  the  name  of  Orejoncs,  given  by  the  Spanish  to  the 
natives. 

The   stones   employed   are   red    freestone,  a   slate-colored 

'  Tlieir  height  is  very  unequal  ;  the  highest  measures  fourteen  feet.  The 
monoliths  of  Stonehcngc  vary  from  sixtCL-n  t'l  twenty-one  feet. 

'  Acosta,  one  of  the  first  Spaniards  who  entered  Tiaguanaco,  speaks  of  stones 
thirty-eight  feet  long,  eighteen  broad,  and  six  thick. 


1:1   I  " 


'i| 


i'l: 


402 


PKl-.H/STOK/C  AM/:K/C.t. 


W'^ 


trachyte,  and  a  very  lianl  and  vi  ly  dark  l)asall.'     All  thi'se 
sIdul'^  arc  adiuiralily  pnlisluil.  and  tiny  an.'  so  piMl'ritl}  cut 
thai  \vc  nia\' cdinpaii'  tluir  w  (irknianshi])  with   th.il    ni  ilir 
granites  nf  tlu-  ly.;)  pti.m  pyloncs.     It  is  not  t'as)-  to  under- 
stand  liou    the  workmen  eoulil  haw  cxeeuted  .1  task  so  dif- 
ficult.' when  iron  was  unknown  to  theni..ind  tlu'_\-  had  to  use 
iniplenKiUs  lit.ier  of  silcx.  or  a  ralhrr  soft    allo)df  bron/c 
(I'liiViipi  \.      I'he  atones  are  laid  oiu-  upon  the  othrr  with  ^\\d\ 
precision  thai  ihe  joints  arr  h,irdl_\-  vi^iblr,  aiul  sccurcil  with 
bronze  cramps.      Tlu' ruins  of   the   monununts   ha\c   srrvcd 
to  l)uili.l  all  \\w  cluuchcs  of  the  surroundini;  \alK}-s,  and  tin 
sculpt urrs  of    I'ia'^uanaeo   arc    found  at   .1  ilistance  of  umrc 
than  twAUt)-   KaL;ui>,  v\v:\  in  ihr  walls  of   the   c.ithedral  nf 
La  I'a/.  the  present  e.ipital  of  liolixia. 

Wood  was  nut  used  in  these  buiklini^s  ;  at  this  lu'ii;ht 
trees  couUl  not  i^row,  and  a  little  stunted  brushwood,  or  tlie 
drietl  cUmi;'  of  11. mi. is.  w.is  the  only  fuel  to  be  li.id. 

We  must  now  rapidly  describe  the  ruins  of  'ri.iLjuanacn ; 
and  we  will  keej)  .isd.il.i  for  reference,  the  n.nnes  which  have 
been  i;i\en  In  the  dilfeieiit  buiUlinL;s  ;  but.  as  Dcsj.uxliu^ 
justly  rem.uks,  the  popul.u-  (K>iL;nali(Uis  are  .in\-  thiiiL;  bul 
suitable  to  the  buildings  to  which  ihev  lia\e  been  applietl. 

'\'\\c  fortress''  is  a  mound  of  rectanL;ular  form,  which  rises 
to  a  heiL;ht  of  one  hundred  and  fiflx-  feel  in  successive  ter- 
races, line  behinil  the  other  ,ind  upheld  b\'  massive  w.dls. 
This  is  ai;Min  the  same  .urani;cmenl  th.it  we  meet  with  in 
Mexico  ami  Vuc.itan.  The  platform  was  covered  with  build- 
ings, of  which  the  found, ilious  are  now  scarcely  visible.   No- 

'  There  .ire  large  cliffy  nf  icil  freestone  five  leai;ues  fr'!!>;  tJu'  tins,  ami  lieil-- 
of  trachyte  and  basalt  at  \unt;uyu.  The  transport  iliniuf;'',  the  mountains 
must  have  added  to  the  immense  difliculties  which  the  lu.'.'de'S  had  to  contend 
with. 

'  "  In  no  part  of  the  world  h.ave  I  seen  stones  cut  with  such  matheniatieal 
precision  and  .idmirahle  skill  as  in  I'eru  ;  and  in  no  part  of  I'eru  are  there  any 
to  surpass  those  which  are  scattered  over  the  jilains  of  Tiahuanuco."  Stpiiei, 
"  I'eru,"  p.  279. 

'darcilasso  tells  us  that  the  town  of  Ti.aguanaco  was  remarkable  for  il> 
large  and  extr.aonlinary  buildings.  He  speaks  of  the  finest  building  of  the 
country  as  a  mountain  of  prodigious  heii^ht  ma<le  bv  the  hand  of  man. 


K 


PERU. 


403 


where  h.ivc  tlic  tapadas  sliown  a  wilder  zeal,  excited  doubt- 
less by  tile  tradition,  whicii  no  Indian  would  think  of  iloubt- 
in;;.  that  a  subterranean  communication  exists  betwicn  this 
fortress  and  the  town  of  Cuzco,  mcix  than  one  hundred 
and  sixty  ieai^ues  off. 

V.  is  not  likely  that  this  pyramid,  in  spite  of  the  name  the 
natives  l'.;>ve  ^i\'en  to  it,  ever  served  a  defensive  puri)ose. 
The  fortresses  of  Peru  have  always  been  fjuilt  upon  places 
indicated  by  the  situation  itself.  Man)'  arclueolo^Msts  l(jok 
upon  it  as  a  temple  and  think  it  was  the  scene  of  the 
human  s.icrifices  which  are  said  to  have  been  offered  up  be- 
fore the  domination  of  the  Incas.  This  is  a  mere  i^uess, 
which,  in  .)ur  present  state  of  ignorance,  we  are  able  neither 
to  acce|)t  nor  to  reject. 

N<irth  of  tlie  fortress  rises  the  tcuiplc,  the  most  ancient 
monument  of  the  town.  It  forms  a  paralleloj.jram  of  four 
lumdrrd  and  forty-fue  feet  by  three  hundred  and  eiL;ht)- 
eiL;ht,  and  was  surrounded  by  a  vast  enclosure  built  of 
blocks  of  trach\te.  which  measure  from  eij^ht  to  ten  feet 
Ion;;,  b)'  from  two  to  four  wide,  anil  are  from  twenty  to 
thirtv  inches  thick.  They  are  of  irregular  form  and  less 
carrl'ully  prepareil  than  the  stones  employed  in  the  other 
buili'in^s  of  Tiaj^uanaco. 

The  Ilnll  of  Justice  1.  now  nothing  but  a  heap  of  stones  ; 
lon^  aiul  patient  study  wcjuld  be  rec[uired  to  make  out  the 
exactitude  of  the  account  written  by  Cieca  de  I, eon  three 
Centuries  ai^o,  or  e\'en  of  the  plan  made  by  D'(  )rbiLjiiy,  in 
1833.  According  to  all  appearances  the  buildini^  was  a 
parallelojjjram  measurinij  four  hundred  and  twenty  feet  by 
three  hundred  and  seventy.  Walls  surrounded  a  platform  of 
earth,  le.ivint^  in  the  centre  a  trench  which  reached  down  to 
the  le\el  of  the  soil.  We  are  ignorant  of  the  jnirpose  of 
this  trench,  the  walls  of  which  were  formed  by  lari^e  stones, 
said  by  Cieca  de  Leon,  to  be  thirty  feet  lonij  by  fifteen  wide, 
and  six  \\\'d\\,  while  Squier  assigns  them  smaller  dimen- 
sions. A  door-way  still  standing  gives  access  to  it,  with 
jambs  made  of  a  single  stone,  and  a  frieze  ornamented  with 
human  faces  in  relief. 


I 

I 

( 


i\ 


Hi 


Ml 


404 


PA'r.-ins /■(  'K/c  AMi.Rn  a. 


I  I 


1 , 


r     ( 


51 


East  of  ihc  Hall  of  Justice  we  sec  a  mound  ei_L;ht  or  ten 
feet  hi;-;li.  fDrniinq,'  a  perfect  square  of  one  huntlred  ami  sev- 
cntj'-five  feet  e.ich  way.  In  the  centre  ro>e  a  IniiklinL;'  fifty 
feet  sijuare,  to  which  Squier  has  j^m'vcu  the  name  of  the  Sanc- 
tiiary.  It  was  reached  h)-  tliL,dits  of  \er\'  narrow  steps,  and 
it  is  eas}-  to  make  out  a  kind  of  Xaos,  w  hich  was  probably  a 
goal  of  j)il_L;rims.  ria;j;aunaco  had,  in  fact,  a  i;reat  renown 
for  .  anctit)-,  inferior  in  nothing  to  that  of  I'ach.icamac.  and 


Fie,.  i(j(..  —  Dourw.iy  ,it  'l'iaL;iKuu\io. 

at  certain  holida\-s  men  flocked  to  it  from  all  parts  of  Tern. 
Severa  lonolithic  door-wa\-s,  similar  to  thoNC  we  lia\e  de- 
scribed, to>ver  al)o\e  the  ruins  svn-roumliuL,^  tlunn.  (  )ne  ot 
them  is  pidbahly  the  most  curious  monument  of  the  town. 
Ima-ine  a  bio Jv  of  tracliMe  thirteen  feet  five  inches  ion-- b> 
seven   feet  two  inches  hi-h,'    surmounted   by   a    frieze  that 

'  This  door  i,  four  feet  si.x   iiiclu-;  lii-h  liy  two  feet    nine   inches  \vi<le.      Dcs- 
janhns,  loc.  cit.,  p,  159,  gives  .in  excellent  deseriinion  of  tliis  niununient. 


t 


PERU. 


405 


L'ii^ht  or  icii 
'(.(1  ami  si'v- 
lildini;-  fifty 
;if  the  Saiic 
\  steps,  .iiul 
;  nrobal)l\-  a 
eat  reiiduii 
ic.imac,  aiul 


■:,^- 


•f    I 


eni. 


r  lia\e  (le- 


.      (  )in 
tile  t 


(lu  11. 


es  lowj;  Ijy 
rieze  that 

•ide.      Dc.i- 
uniL'iu. 


has  boon  damii^cd  by  lifrhtninrj;  and  then  four  scries  of 
cartouclics  bearing  human  figures  engraved  in  intaglio, 
some  unfinished,  and  in  the  centre  a  very  original  and  com- 
plicated mass  of  ornamentation  (fig.    167).     This  central  or- 


l''ia.  167. — Central  portion  of  the  great 


ith  of  T 


laguanaco. 


nanient   represents  a  human    face,  surroinuled  Ijy  bas-reliefs 
which  are  said  to  be  of  jaguars  and  condors.'     The  figures 

'  Aiit;rancl,    who  lias  visited    Tiai^iianaco,    calls   attention   to  it^  reseniblanee. 


even  in    tlie    siiia 
icale 


allest    details,  to  the  inoniiinents  of  I'aleiuiue,  Oeocingu,   anil 


fl 


ill- 


wocnicaieo 


I 


f? 


406 


PKE-IIISTOKIC  AMERICA. 


i  I 


t    ! 


■    I 


P.I    ^ 


: 


r 


1: 


('       r 


arc  probably  symbolical :  but  the  religion  of  the  ancient  in- 
habitants of  the  town  is  unknown  to  us.  so  that  we  cannot 
interpret  them.  In  the  western  face  are  five  niches,  two  of 
which  are  sunk  in  the  soil,  so  that  the  height  of  the  niono- 
litii  has  still  to  be  dcterniined. 

History  and  tradition  are  alike  unite  on  the  relations 
which  may  connect  the  builders  of  Tiaguanaco  with  the 
Qiiuichuas.  We  are  no  less  ignorant  of  those  which  existed 
between  the  former  and  the  Aymaras.  It  is  probable,  al- 
though we  cannot  positively  assert  it,  that  both  sprang 
from  Naluia  races,  and  th.it  they  canie  from  the  north,  jtcr- 
haps  c\en  from  the  prolific  table-land  of  .Anahuac.  One 
thing  we  think  certain  :  such  monuments  cannot  be  the 
remains  of  a  civilization  of  local  growth,  nor  can  a  race, 
unaiiled.  ha\'e  developi'd  from  its  own  genius  such  archi- 
tect ur.il  knowledge.  We  share  the  conclusion  of  Angrand. 
that  the  civilization  of  which  the  remaining  ruins  bear  the 
impress,  could  not  have  taken  its  rise  on  these  frozen 
table-lands.  Man  must  have  arrived  upon  them  sufficiently 
armed  for  the  struggle,  b\-  ]jrevious  experience  of  social 
life. 

Lake  Titicaca,  of  irregular  oval  form,  is  one  hundred  miles 
long  by  from  fifty  to  sewnty  witle  ;  soundings  have  re- 
cently given  a  ilei)th  of  1,710  feet,  while  the  altitude  of 
the  lake  is  about  12,000  feet  abo\-e  the  sea.'  Several 
islands  dot  its  surface,  the  most  important  of  which  is 
that  of  Titicaca,  with  rugged  rocks  aiul  irri'gular  shore- 
line. It  is  six  miles  long  b)-  threi'  or  four  wide.  Its 
name  comes  from  ////,  a  tiger,  and  C(i,ii,  rock  ;  according 
to  tradition,  before  the  arrival  of  man  the  island  was  in- 
habited by  a  tiger,  that  carried  on  its  head  a  magnificent 
rub\-,  the  light  from   which   illuminatetl  the  whole  lake. 

This  was  the  sacred  inland  of  the  ancient  Teruvians ; 
aiK.l,  according  U)  a  legend  >till  dear  to  the  inhabitants, 
it  was  here  that  the  sun  re-appeared  resplendent  after  a 
total  eclipse  which  had  lasted  for  several  davs ;  here,  too. 


'  Wieiu'i,  loc.  lit.,  |) 


,i)0. 


I 


PERU. 


AO7 


were  bom  Manco-Capac  and  Oello,  the  children  of  the  sun, 
and  it  was  from  here  that  they  set  forth  to  direct  the 
great  destinies  of  their  people. 

The  island  is  covered  with  monuments,  the  pious  offerings 
of  the  Incas  to  the  manes  of  their  glorious  ancestors.  We 
mention  the  palace  of  the  Sun,  a  convent  of  priests  con- 
nected with  the  worship  of  that  god,  and  the  palace  of  the 
Incas.  On  disembarking  from  the  reed-boat  {balsa),  on  which 
every  traveller  has  to  trust  himself,  one  sees  successively  the 
ruins  of  three  porticos,  through  which  the  pilgrims  had  to 
pass;  the  Puma punco,  or  the  gate  of  the  puma,  where  they 
had  to  confess  their  sins ;  the  Kcnti piinco,  ornamented  with 
sculptures  representing  a  bird  called  Kcnti,  where  other 
ceremonies  had  to  be  gone  through  with  ;  and,  lastly,  the 
Pillco  punco,  or  the  door  of  hope.  After  having  passed 
through  it,  tlie  faithful  worshipper  was  allowed  to  approach 
the  sacred  rock,  where  the  sun  had  risen,  lighting  up  the 
horizon  with  its  fires.'  This  rock  was  entirely  covered 
with  magnificent  tapestries,  ornamented  with  sheets  of  gold 
and  silver;  and  in  all  the  hollows  were  deposited  the  most 
costly  offerings.  None  except  the  priests  might  approach 
this  venerated  spot  ;  pilgrims  contemplated  it  from  afar,  re- 
maining in  a  large  enclosure,  in  which  can  still  be  seen  the 
foundations  of  two  sanctuaries  dedicated  to  two  inferior 
gods,  symbolized  by  thunder  and  lightning. 

The  temple  formed  a  parallelogram  of  165  feet  by  30,  and 
rose  from  a  rock  situated  at  the  extremity  of  the  island. 
Th(;re  has  been  much  discussion  as  to  its  site  ;  we  accept  the 
opinion  of  Squier  (/.  c,  j).  369),  which  appears  to  us  the  best 
founded. 

It  was  reached  by  steps  cut  in  the  rock.  The  walls 
were  of  stones,  imbedded  in  a  very  hard  clay  and  faced 
with  a  coating  of  stucco.  Inside  we  notice  a  whole  series 
of  the  niches  so  characteristic  of  Peruvian  monuments.  The 
principal  facade  was  pierced  with   five   doors,  and  with  two 

'  We  take  this  .iccount  from  Padre  Ramos,  who  wrote  a  short  time  after  the 
comiuest. 


■■   ] 


''I 


um 


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1^^ 


^m 


9' 
it 


408 


rA7:.///sroA'/r  amknica. 


yA  \ 


Ji 


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r 


r 


•"IP'-'?:* 

I 


windows  placed  at  equal  distances  between  each  two  doors. 
On  the  opposite  side,  a  single  door  opened  upon  a  serirsof 
terraces,  one  Liehind  the  otlier  ;  and  by  crossintj  tluin  and 
ijoing  down  some  skilfully  arrant^ed  stops,  two  smaller  tciii- 
l)les  in  the  same  style  were  reached.  They  were  erecteil,  as 
were  most  of  the  buildinos  of  the  island,  1)\'  'rupac-\'upan(|ui, 
the  eleventh  Jiica.  They  are  neither  so  well  built,  nor  so 
loaded  with  ornament,  as  are  those  of  Tiai;uanaco.  In  ihem 
we  see  art  in  its  cU'cadence,  an  almost  certain  indication  of  a 
declinint;  culture.  If  we  believe  the  Concpiistadores,  the 
wealth  of  the  temples  was  immense  ;  but  the  j^riests  hastened 
on  the  arri\al  of  the  Spanish,  to  throw  into  the  lake  all  tluir 
l;oU1  and  silver  vases,  to  prevent  their  becominij  the  pre_\'  of 
the  conqueror. 

E!  f'a/acio  del  Iiica  occupies  a  magnificent  position,  com- 
manding a  view  of  the  lake  ami  the  snow-cappeil  mountains 
overlookin;.^  it.  It  forms  a  rectangle  of  somewhat  moderate 
dimen>ions,  onl\-  fift)"-one  feet  by  forty-four,  ami  two  stories 
not  communicating  with  each  other  cari  be  made  out,  each 
including  a  series  of  twehe  rooms,  arranged  according  to 
totalh'  different  plans.'  The  internal  and  external  walls,  like 
those  of  the  tem|)le,  were  coated  with  fairl\-  hard  stucco, 
painted  yellow;  the  jambs  of  the  doors,  and  the  niches, 
which  were  the  onl\-  ornamentation,  stood  out  in  red  ;  the 
roof,  of  pyramidal  form,  was  made  of  stones  overhanging  oiu- 
another.  The  great  scarcit}- of  wood  doubtless  led  to  this 
mode  of  building,  which  must  have  presented  great  difficul- 
ties. 

Lastly,  we  mention  the  tajiihos,  where  the  pilgrims  lodged  ; 
the/ZAr,  or  fountain  of  the  Ineas,  where  the  water  still  tlows 
from  unknown  springs  through  subterranean  conduits;  the 
ChingaiM,  or  labyrinth,  with  its  vaulted  caves,  narrow  open- 
ings, numerous  corridors  and  tiny  rooms.  We  retain  the 
name  of  Chingana  for  these  ruins,  to  which  the  Spanish  had 
at  first  given  that  of  (iispciisn,  sufjixtsing  that  the  treasurer 
of  the   temple   and   the  objects  used  in  worship  were   there 

'  Squier,  "  Peru,"  pp.  344,  345,  jrives  the  i.l.in  of  e.ich  of  these  stories. 


i^ 


PERU. 


409 


deposited.  Squicr  looks  upon  them  as  the  aclahuasi,  which 
was  the  name  given  to  the  residence  of  the  virgins  of  the 
sun :  all  these  suppositions  are  possible ;  we  leave  them  to 
the  consideration  of  the  reader. 

The  island  of  Coati  was  about  six  miles  from  that  of  Titi- 
caca.  It  was  two  and  a  half  miles  long  by  tliree  fourths  of 
a  mile  wide,  and  played  a  part  in  the  religious  sj-stem  of  the 
Peruvians,  almost  as  important  as  the  island  of  Titicaca,  or 
as  that  dedicated  to  the  sun.  Coati  was  consecrated  to  the 
moon.  In  it  we  meet  again  with  the  gates  of  purification, 
where  took  place  the  same  religious  ceremonies  as  at  Titi- 
caca, and  the  tambos  set  aside  for  the  pilgrims ;  but  the 
most  remarkable  ruins  are  those  of  the  pol;iv;e  of  the  inama- 
ciiiias,  or  virgins  dedicated  to  the  sun.  This  aclahuasi  occu- 
pied three  sides  of  a  vast  court ;  the  walls,  like  those  of  the 
other  buildings  of  the  Incas,  were  of  rough  stones,  im- 
bedtled  in  cla\'  and  covered  with  ver_\-  hartl  cement.  On  the 
ground-not)r  thirt}'-five  rooms  can  still  be  counted  ;  one  of 
these,  which  was  approached  i)y  a  vaulted  corridor,  and  was 
the  t)nly  one  in  which  the  walls  were  made  of  dressed  stones, 
was  probabl)-  a  sacred  r.pot.  The  doors  were  surrounded  by 
niches,  which  were  the  only  ornamentation  ;  for  nowhere  do 
we  find  sculptures  and  arabesques  such  as  are  so  numerous 
at  Tiaguan.ico  anil  Chinui.  One  story,  which  was  reached 
by  several  flights  of  st'-ps,  rose  above  the  ground-floor;  and 
the  roof,  cut  by  several  petliments,  presents  a  certain  resem- 
blance to  the  Elizabethan  style  so  dear  to  the  English.  All 
the  rooms  communicated  with  each  other  ;  so  that  here  we 
have  the  same  arrangement  as  in  the  pueblos  of  New  Mex- 
ico. On  the  first  story  two  large  halls  opened  on  the  prin- 
cipal facade  ;  each  had  the  inevitable  niche  ;  in  the  first  was 
placed  a  golden  statue  of  the  sun,  and  in  the  second  a  silver 
one  of  the  moon,  Lastl\',  the  lake  was  reached  by  a  series 
of  terraces  and  steps,  a  good  deal  like  those  connected  with 
the  palace  of  the  Inca  on  the  island  of  Titicaca.  The  two 
buildings  date  from  the  same  period  ;  for  though  the  palace 
of  the  Virgins  was  erected  during   the    reign   of  Huayna- 


11 


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I 


Capac,  his  father.  'rui).ic-\'upan(iui,  laid  the  ftnindations. 
On  the  west  o[  the  ]);il.ice  we  cm  still  observe  ruins  of  a 
semicircular  court,  iu  which  lived  the  sacred  llamas  and 
vicuftas.  It  was  the  duty  of  the  Maniacuiias  to  weave  the 
wool  for  their  own  ijarments  and  for  liiose  of  the  Incas  and 
their  children. 

There  were  other  islands  on  the  lake,  but  we  will  content 
ourselves  with  mentioning  that  of  Soto,  to  which  the  incas 
retired  in  times  of  anxiety,  to  seek  by  fastint^  and  ])rayor 
the  protection  of  their  t;lorious  ancestors. 

LcLjemls  relate  that,  when  Manco-Capacand  Oello  left  the 
island  of  Titicaca,  the  sun  L;ave  to  them  a  L;olden  branch, 
and  instructcil  tiuin  to  ,.  '■  on  until  the  branch  shouUl  sink 
into  the  earth.  It  '  .1-,  ,.l  l  .izco  that  the  marvel  took  place, 
and  the  Incas,  full  of  gratitule  to  their  father,  made  it  the 
capital  of  their  doiuirno^-  '1'  ■  own  rapidly  rose  to  L;reat 
im])ortance,  and  without  acceptiii;^^  the  exai;i;erated  accounts 
of  certain  Spanish  writers,  who  brini;  up  the  numlier  of  the 
inhabitants  to  twi)  lunulred  thousand,'  it  is  eviilent  that  a 
numerous  and  obetlient  population  was  indispensable  for  the 
construction  of  the  buildini;s,  whose  imposint;  ruins  still 
astonish  the  tr.iveller.  It  is  tlilTicult  to  imai,dnc  how  men 
can  ha\-e  li\ed  at  an  altitude  of  I  1.380  feet,  on  a  sterile  soil, 
when  there  were  no  domestic  animals,  and  mai/e,  the  on!)' 
cereal  with  which  they  were  ac([u.unted,  could  oidy  ripen  in 
a  few  distant  valleys. 

The  town  rises  from  steep  slopes  ;  e\erywhere  rocks  had 
to  be  levelled,  terraces  erecteil,  and  lartli  upheUl  b>-  walls, 
which  remind  us  of  the  c_\cl<ipe,in  structures  of  (iieece 
or  Syria.  At  Tiayuanaco  we  found  the  walls  kept  in  posi- 
tion by  bronze  cramps  ;  in  the  island  of  Titicaca  these  walls 
are  sometimes  of  adoloes  dried  in  the  sun,  sonietimes  of 
stones  cementetl  with  cl.i\-  ;  at  Cuzco  the\'  are  of  extremel)' 
hard  rocks,  such   as  dioriti.  porpln-ry,  and  _L;rt'at    blocks  of 

'The  inimliLT  of  iiiliabit.-ints  of  t lie  whole  province  of  which  Cuzco  is  the 
capil.il  (Iocs  nut  now  exceed  lliree  humlred  ihous.iiul  souls.  Such  is  tlie  sterility 
of  the  soil  .ind  the  struggle  for  existence,  that  this  number  is  not  at  all  likely 
'o  increase. 


1: 


nindations, 
ruins  of  a 

llamas  and 
Aveavi;  tlio 

:  Incas  and 

kill  C(jiitcnt 

the  Incas 

and  prayer 

•llo  left  the 
en  branch, 
:hould  sink 
todk  place, 
ladc  it  the 
se  to  _L;'reat 
d  accounts 
d)er  of  the 
cut  tliat  a 
ble  for  the 
ruins  still 
how  men 
itei'iK.'  soil, 
,  the  onl_\' 
I)'  ripen  in 

rocks  had 
by  walls, 
)f  (irei'ce 
it  in  posi- 
lese  walls 
I'limes  of 
jxtremeh' 
blocks  ot 

Jiuco  is  the 
the  sterility 
at  all  likely 


PERU. 


411 


brown  trachyte,  carried  by  main  force,  without  the  help  of 
paths,  from  the  quarries  of  Anduhaylillas,  twenty-two 
miles  off.  How  the  stones  were  transported  to  Cuzco  is  not 
easy  to  say ;  but  as  the  Incas  had  no  beasts  of  draus^ht 
it  must  have  been  done  through  the  direct  application  of 
human  force.'  These  blocks  were  carefully  squared  and 
then  joined  together  by  means  of  a  mortise  about  one  foot 
deep  by  one  and  a  half  feet  in  diameter,  into  which  fitted  a 
tenon  of  nearly  the  same  size,  hewn  out  of  the  upper  block. 
The  walls  were  kept  in  place  by  their  own  wc-ght  alone,  for 
Squicr,  (/.  r.,  p.  435)  after  a  careful  examination,  declares 
that  no  cement  was  used  ;  he  adds  that  all  modern  masonry, 
whether  executed  in  Europe  or  in  America,  is  inferior,  when 
compared  with  that  of  the  ancient  capital  of  the  Incas.  In 
certain  characteristics  this  architecture  recalls  that  of  the 
Egyptians  ;  but  this  resemblance,  curious  as  it  may  appear, 
does  not  allow  any  conclusion  to  be  drawn  from  it ;  for  the 
primiti\e  iileas  of  men  are  of  spontaneous  origin  and  develop 
progressively,  according  to  a  universal  law  which  can  be 
traced  everywhere. 

The  valley  is  overlooked  by  the  SixcsaJiiia7nan'''  built  on  a 
perpendicular  rock  which  juts  out  like  a  spear  between  two 
streams,  the  lluatenay  and  the  Rodadero.  Erom  the  side 
next  the  town  ascent  was  impossible  and  a  i)ath  was  cut  out 
on  the  opposite  side,  along  the  Rodadero,  forming  the  sole 
mode  of  access  to  this  fortress,  which,  with  its  triple  enclos- 
ure of  huge  irregular  blocks,'  its  terraces,  and  its  para- 
pets, its  projecting  and  re-entering  angles  resembling 
those    o!"    modern     bastions,    was    absolutely    impregnable 

'  Sijuier  :   "  Vcni,"  p.  419. 

"Conite  de  .Sartiges  :  AVr .  des  J)i'ii.\  MoitiLs,  1S51.  Squicr:  "  rem," 
]).  468.  Historians  iliffer  as  to  the  erection  of  the  Sacsahuaman.  Some 
attribute  it  to  Vupanqui,  others  to  lluayua-Capac,  the  father  of  Atahualpa  and 
Iluascar.  It  is  probable  that  it  took  many  years  to  build  it  and  that  several 
ijencrations  of  workmen  were  employed. 

^The  total  length  of  the  walls  is  one  thousaml  eight  hundred  feet  ;  the  pres- 
ent height  of  the  first  enclosure  is  twenty-seven  feet,  that  of  the  second  seven- 
teen, and  that  of  the  third,  fourteen. 


^!) 


m 


4 

* 

\ 


■A 


Itt 


)/ 


412 


PR/-:.f//S70A'lC  AMERICA. 


% 


•I 


before  the  invention  of  iirtillery.  (jarcilasso  '  places  this 
work  on  an  e(iuaht\-  with  all  that  was  most  celebrated 
in  antiquit)-.  for  its  execution  appeared  to  him  imptJssible, 
even  with  all  the  instruments  and  n  achines  known  in 
luirope.  Man\-  persons,  therefore,  he  tells  us,  hi'lieved  it  ti) 
liax'e  been  made  b\'  enchantment,  on  account  of  the  faniili- 
arit\-  of  the  Indians  with  demons,  and  the  Sjxinish  author 
owns  that  he  was  not  indis])osi'(l  to  come  to  the  same  con- 
clusion. Thou_ij;h  ilifferent  in  kind  .S([uier's  enthusiasm  was 
no  less  ^reat  ;  he  does  not  h','sitate  to  compare  the  Sacsahua- 
nian  with  the  pyramitls,  Stonehen^e,  anil  the  Coliseum.  Like 
those  t^lorious  monuments,  he  adds,  it  oui;ht  to  defy  time 
and  remain  an  eternal  nitness  to  the  power  of  man. 

Three  openini^s  in  the  form  of  an  idont^ated  trapezium 
Ljive  access  to  the  outer  enclosure,  the  riiipiiiicii,  or  i;ate  of 
.sand,  the  AiaJuiaimpiiucit,  and  the  Mracocliapuiuii,'  after  the 
name  of  the  L^uanlian  _L;od  of  the  town.  nui;h  blocks  of 
stone  were  ma,de  re.ul}-  for  elosiii;^-  these  openings  at  tlie  first 
appearance  of  dauL^er.  in  the  centre  of  the  citatlel  still  re- 
main several  minor  stronghokls,  and  aun.ni;  them  a  rouiul 
tower,  the  Muyuc-Marciu  in  which  were  placed  the  treasures 
of  the  Inc. IS,  and  from  whicli.  by  one  of  those  freaks  of 
fortune  df  which  histor}'  ])resents  so  maiu' curious  exannples, 
then-  last  descendant  was  to  llin;^  himself  down,  after 
tile  final  failure  of  an  insurrection  which  cost  Juan  Pi/.arro 
his  life  and  brought  the  Spaniards  to  the  brink  of  destruc- 
tion.' 

II  the  forlitications  of  the  citaiiel  bear  witness  to  the  skill 
of  the  architects,  the  ilivertin--  of  water  of  the  Rodadero,  bv 


'  "  Hist,  lies  Incas,  Rois(]u  iVroii,"  Frciuli  translation,  vul.  I.,  p.  268. 

■•'The  word  Viracocha  is  still  .a  title  of  honor  amongst  modern  I'eruvians. 
Viracocha-tatai,  our  father  Vir.icorha,  is  the  salutation  with  which  Kuropeans 
are  always  greeted. 

■'Manco-Cap.ae  II.  was  recognized  by  I'izarro  as  Inca  after  the  execution  of 
Alahualpa.  Another  legend,  dear  to  liie  Indians,  gives  a  different  account  of 
his  death.  According  to  it,  Manco-Capac,  after  the  linal  submission  of  Cuzco. 
retired  to  the  Andes,  where  lie  continued  to  struggle  .against  the  Spanish,  and 
where  he  was  ass.assinated  by  those  who  had  l)een  unable  to  conquer  him.  .See 
Prescott  :  "  Conquest  of  Peru,"  bk.  III.,  ch.  X. 


I    < 


''-I 


"?r 


PERU. 


413 


means  of  accquias  or  canals  of  remarkable  execution,  testi- 
fies still  more  to  that  of  the  engineers.  We  give  a  drawing 
of  one  of  those  aqueducts  (fig.  168),  which,  like  that  of  the 
portico  of  Kabal  (fig.  i  34),  recalls  the  magnificent  works  of 
the  Romans,  which  arc  certainly  one  of  the  glories  of  our 
ancient  civilization. 

A  hill  near  the  Sacsahuaman  is  covered  with  granite 
blocks,  richl)'  sculptured  and  converted  into  seats;  galleries 
ornamented  with  steps,  terraces,  and  niches.  The  Incas 
omitted  nothing  which  could  add  to  the  splendor  of  their 
capital. 

The  temple  of  the  sun,  the  wealth  of  which  is  still  pro- 
verbial, was  situated  on  an  eminence  eighty  feet  above  the 
lluatenay.  The  river  was  reached  by  a  series  of  terraces. 
There  stretched  tlu:  celebrated  gardens,  where,  according  to 
the  account  of  Spanish  chroniclers,  the  animals,  insects,  and 
the  very  trees  were  of  gold  and  silver.  The  whole  of  the 
quarter  where  the  tennple  was,  bore  the  characteristic  name 
of  Coricatuha,  the  town  of  gold. 

The  temple,  nnw  converted  into  a  Dominican  convent, 
ticcupies  one  side  of  a  vast  court,  which  preserves  the  name 
of  fiitipainpa,  the  field  of  the  sun.  The  inner  aud  outer 
walls  it  is  alleged  were  covered  with  sheets  of  gold.  This 
last  fact  may  be  true,  for  Scpn'er  relates  having  seen,  in  vari- 
ous houses  in  Cuzco,  sheets  of  gold  preserved  as  relics  which 
came  from  the  temple  of  the  Sun.  These  placiues,  he  tells 
us,  were  scarce!}'  as  thick  as  a  sheet  of  paper. 

Above  the  altar,  which  f-.iced  east,  was  a  colossal  repre- 
sentation of  the  sun,  also  in  gold,  which,  after  the  conquest, 
became  the  booty  of  a  certain  Mancio  Serra  de  Leguicano, 
a  reckless  gambler,  who  lost  it  on  a  single  throw  of  the  dice. 

All  around  were  laid  the  dried  bodies  of  the  Incas,  who 
seemed  to  be  rendering  a  last  homage  to  their  father. 

The  court  was  surrounded  with  sanctuaries  dedicated  to 
inferior  divinities,  such  as  the  moon,  the  stars,  thunder, 
lightning,  and  the  rainbow,  visible  and  active  manifestations 
of   that   Being,  superior  to  all,  who  was  the  essence  and 


II 


i 


i 


\\ 


r 

i 


1 


414 


/•A7;-///.s/('AV('   .IMhh'/CA. 


'■ii 


';.. 


supreme  cause  nf  every  tliiui;.  lu  the  centre  .1  fountain 
hewn  "Ut  of  a  stone  of  considerable  size,  still  L^ives  tlu' 
monks  the  water  they  need.  I'his  stone,  like  those  used  in 
makin;4  the  walls  of  the  temple,  was  also  coxered  with  sheets 
of  t^old.  and  (iarcilasso  relates  that  he  himself  saw  the  walrr 
How  into  il  thicin-h  jiipes  .dso  oi  i;'oUl. 

The  AiLiiittdsi  w.is  only  separated  from  the  temple  by  a 
larue    buildiuL;   which    served   as   a   lotln;iii_Lr   for  the  priests. 


Fig,  ifiS. — Ac[iiL'ihu'l  on  ihr  Koihuk'io. 

The  walls  are  still  st.mdin;^^  for  a  len-lh  of  750  feet,  their 
heiuht  var\iu!/  from  20  to  2;.  TheN'  bear  witness  t(>  the 
splendor  of  the  buildint;-.  to  which  the  daui;hters  of  the  Incas 
were  sent  at  a  most  tender  aL,^e,  and  when;  they  were  sub- 
mitted to  a  rit^orous  disci|)line. 

Nor  could  the  Incas  ne;4lect  their  private  dwellings,  in  the 
town  in  which  they  lived.  Each  Inca  erected  a  p.dace  at  his 
ascension,  and  ut  his  tleath  this  jjalace  became  the  residence 
of  his  son.     That  of  Huayna-Capac,  the  most  illustrious  of 


] 


1 


PERU. 


415 


l)rn.'sts. 


his  r.tcc,  was  no  less  tlian  Soo  feet  lorifj;  all  its  other  dimen- 
sions were  on  a  similar  scale,  and  the  Jesuits  have  been  able 
to  build  a  church,  the  viceroys  a  prison  ami  a  barrack,  in  these 
structures  of  impre.i,Miable  solidity.  The  palace  of  Atahualpa 
was  of  adobes  ;  ami  the  room  is  still  shown  in  which  he  was 
imprisoned,  and  which  he  jiail  to  fill  with  gold  for  his  ran- 
som. (Opposite  to  the  palace  of  the  Inca  Roca  were  the 
schools,  YachaJiiiasi,  which  he  had  foumled,  and  which  he 
took  pleasure  in  superintending;  there  the  Ainaiitcs,  literally 
the  ivisc  men.  taught  the  great  deeds  of  the  Incas,  and  prc- 
si«-ved  the  legends  relating  to  them.  Interlaced  serpents 
were  sculptured  upon  the  door  of  the  palace  of  Iluayna- 
Capac,  and  they  are  -Iso  met  with  on  the  walls  of  Vachahu- 
asi.  and  of  several  of  the  other  buildings  of  Cu/.co.  These 
scul[)tures,  which  are  exceptitMial  among  the  Inca  buildings, 
have  evidently  a  mythological  signification  which  evades  us. 
In  other  places  hierogl\'phics  are  supposed  to  exist,  which 
have  been  compared  to  those  of  Mexico  or  Brazil;  but  all 
relating  to  them  is  the  boldest  guesswork. 

The  Incas  appear  to  liave  taken  extreme  precaution 
against  dangers  unknown  to  us.  Were  these  dangers  the 
revolts  of  their  own  subjects,  or  were  they  the  incursions  of 
the  ferocious  Chinchas,  who  livetl  in  the  impenetrable  forests 
watered  by  the  Amazon  and  its  tributaries?  We  cannot 
tell  ;  but  it  is  certain  that  important  fortresses  rise  from 
many  points  in  Peru  ;  besides  the  Sacsahuaman,  of  which  we 
have  just  spoken,  we  may  mention  Ollantay-Tambo,  I'isac, 
Piquillacta,  and  Choccecpiirao. 

The  Ucayali,'  one  oi  the  branches  of  the  Amazon,  flows 
across  the  fertile  valley  of  Yucay,  between  steep  rocks,  over- 
looked by  the  distant  lofty  snow-laden  summits  of  the  Andes. 
These  rocks  bear  witness  to  the  work  and  the  energy  of 
man  ;  for  on  every  side,  even  on  points  apparently  inacces- 
sible, and  at  heights  that  the  condors  alone  would  appear 
to  have  been  able  to  reach,  we  see  niches,  caves  artificially 

'  This  river   successively  bears   the  names  of  Vilcaraayo,    Urubamba,    and 
Yucay. 


i  I 


t    1 

! 


': 


fs 


i 
i 

■  i 
',1  1 

'  1 
I 

i"l  1 


410 


PRI..IIIS  roKii. '  .  I .uJ-A'/i :  I. 


^11 


>.i 


I'    ' 


.1! 


'J        til 


LMiliir'U'tl.  in.uisnlrums  supixu'liil    <>n    pillars  crowiud    1)\    a 
linlcl,  ami  sculptures.     AmoiivJ   these  seulpturcs  is  a  i)uin,i 

suekiiv^'  her  cub. 

C)llanta\- r.iinbo,  fifteen  lea^^ues  imrth  of  C'li/eo,  was  in- 
tended to  defentl  the  valley  of  Vuca\-,  and  was  crowned  by 
l()ft\-  towers,  now  almost  t-ntirely  ruineii.'  Inside  are  luai)s 
of  1uil;c  blocks  of  red  porphyry,  which  enable  us  to  form  an 
idea  of  the  imjiortance  of  the  fortress.  Some  of  these  blocks 
bear   rinel\--e.\ecuted  orn.mients,  resemblini,^  those    of   Tia- 


1'    lE^. 


'•-^M^ 


-<■.'.:. 


.*      -^.x  V 


Fig.    Kill.  — W.iU  wiih    nicliL'-,   foriiiini;  purl  of    llic    forlilicatinii  of    OlLint.iy- 

I'.imbo. 

i;uanaco.  Walls  tweiitN-five  feet  hij^h.  with  battlements  like 
those  of  the  stroiv^f  castles  risini^^  from  the  banks  of  the 
Rhine,  co\ir  the  sides  of  the  mountain,  and  stretch  awa\-  in 
zi<;zac;s  to  precipices,  which  fomi  an  insuperable  barrier. 

On  one  of  the  perpendicular  rocks,  more  than  nine  hun- 
dred feet  hii^h,  arc  seen  the  ruins  of  a  little  buiklini;,  with  a 
door  openinL(  on  to  the  brink  of  the  precipice.     'I'lu:  Sjjanisli 

'  "  Cii'ij'a  (le  Leon,"  chap.  XCIV.     ('i;iicilasso  :   "  Conim.  Ucales,"  book  V., 
hap.  XXVIl.     Markham  :  "  Cii/CM  ami  Lima."     Sipiier  :  "  I'eru,"  p.  482. 


U 


nil 


IV     ,1 


s  ;i  puma 


>,  was  m- 
iwiud  l)y 
irc  luaps 
form  an 
sc  blocks 


of   T 


la- 


r*w39*-' 


-WS* 


;    Ollaiit.iy- 


;nb 


WKC 


aw 


nor. 


.f  tl 
I}' 


111 


mc  Jiuii- 


th 


;.  \\\ 


Snaiiisli 


Dk  V. 


1-.  432. 


I 


/'£A'r 


gave  to  it  the  name  of  /a  /ionix  dil  Itombrc,  and, 


IcLTciul,  criminals  were  taken  to  it  and  fl 


4'7 


accortiiU'r  to 


A  little    farther  off  is  the  horca  dc 


uii;'  into  the  al)\-: 


wives  had  to  undergo  the  same  punishment. 


iintjii\  where    faithless 


will  1 


lot  leave   the  valley  of  Yueay  without  speaki 


IlL^ 


ui  a  round  lower  situated  on  an  isolated  rock  and  maile  of 


routdi  stones,  faced  with   a   coat 


nu 


.f    St 


UCCO. 


Insicli 


are 


niches,  and  outside  is  a  sculpture,  in  which  an  unskilful  artist 
has  endeavored  to   represent  a   serpent.     Ahovt;  the  tloor. 


in 


and  sinuilatinj;  windows,  we  meet  attain  with  the  KL;ypti; 
tail  that  we  have  already  seen  at  I'aleiujue.  These  orna- 
nienl-^.  and  the  canfulness  with  which  the  huildin^^  is  made, 
ha\e  led  to  the  bijief  that  this  lower  was  not  a  post  of  ob- 
ser\-.ition  or  defence,  hut  more  likely  a  temple.  The  pecul- 
i.ir  vt'iieratiuii  of  the  ancient  Peruvians  for  isolated  rocks 
justifies  this  ii.Ua.  The  Indians  of  to-day  liave  inherited  the 
superstition  of  tin  ir  predecessors  ;  and  none  of  tlu'in  would 
'  -e  to  pass  the  tower  of  Calca  without  howiiiL;-  ])r(ifoundl\- 
,  throwin-  down  ;i  stone,  and  nuitteriiif^r an  unintelli<,nble 
i.. .  ication. 

Tile  \alle_\-  of  rauca-Tainbo  is  parallel  with  tluit  of  ^'llca\^ 
from  which  it  is  sepanittd  by  the  chain  of  the  Andes.     It 


■  IS  protected  by  the  \ast    fortitletl  enclosure  of  P 


isac. 


All 


the  ileclivities  w  Inch  ci>uld  aid  in  asctnt  are  crowned  with 
towers;  all  the  inequalities  of  the  rock  are  filled  in  and  faced 
with  sl.ib-,  coveretl  with  \ery  h.ird  and  highly  polished 
stucco,  iinp.ossible  to  climb  owr;  e\'er)'  strategic  point  is  de- 


feiuled 


science 


wcir! 


uiisurn.issed 


aiu' 


th 


11115    m    motlern 


fort 


ifiealioiis    stretch    f( 


consiueraljle   dis 


bk 


tant 


ami  lorm,  it    we  ma_\'  so 
-1 


express  it,  a  vast  intrenched 
cam]),  in  which  \\liole  tribes  couUl  li\e  inntected  from  at- 
tack, and  de\-oic  themselves  in  peace  to  their  agricultural 
occupations. 


W 


e  must  not  omit  to    mention   some  \erv  curit)us  monu- 


ments, to  which  the  name   of   intilinativia  '  has  been   Ljfiven. 
'  /////  ^iynilies  sun  ;   Jniataiid,  tlu'  pniiil  where  ;i  iIhul;  is  fixcil  ;  so  that  /////- 


uiUtihi  sigiiilios,  literally,  the  puinl  where  the 


lixed. 


\ 


i 


i 


f^. 


r  ii 


1    '  t 


!/il 


't; 


1.  '' 


,1 


I. 


418 


/  'A' A-///.V  /-cMVt  •  -■/  .1//:  a/C  ■-•/ . 


These  arc  isolated  n-cks,  tlic  <unimit  nf  wliicli  lias  been  ^nm- 
plctely  levelled,  and  which  are  ^virmounted  b>-  a  little  cnl- 
iimii  in  the  f'lrin  "{  a  truMcatetl  coiie.  The-e  iiitihualaiui 
arc  nut  with  in  all  the  provinces  of  iVru.  Sciuier  mentions 
several  in  the  valley  nf  Pi>ci)  ;  one  overlookinL;  the  little 
town  of  Ollantay-Taniho,  and  another  at  the  t<iot  of  the 
terrace  of  Colcompata  .it  (."u/co.  It  is  very  pr.  >l),djle  that 
one  of  the>e  intihuatanas  m^e  before  the  teini)le  ot  the  mui, 
and  traces  of  another  can  still  be  seen  in  front  of  the  temple 
of  the  inland  of  Titicaca.  Their  purpose  is  still  ver>-  uncer- 
tain. 


7'H 


Fk;.  170. — The  luiihuat.ina  uf  Pi^ac. 

That  of  I'i.-^ac  is  one  of  the  be.-^t  preser\-ed,  doubtless  o!i 
account  of  its  nearly  inai'ces>il)lc  position  (Til;'.  170).  It  i-^ 
ele\'en  inches  in  di.uneler  at  its  b.i>e  and  nine  at  its  su.mntit ; 
it  is  sixtee'U  inches  hiL;h,  .uul  it  is  said  that  but  a  few  \'ears 
a;_;o  it  v  as  surrouncUtl  b)-  a  cliainpi^  coll.ir,  which,  with  so 
many  other  intere^tin;,;"  relics,  has  become  the  booty  of  tap.i- 
(he-.  The  whoK-  loek  is  surrounded  with  walls,  in  the  sh.ipe 
of  the  letter  1),  and  made  of  squ.ired  stones,  perfectly 
polished,  and  hewn  in  such  a  manner  as  to  accommodate 
themselves  to  e\ery  ineepiality  of  njck. 

'  Cluimpi  is  Uic  nami;  for  Peruvian  lirnn/c      Si|uier  ;    "  I'eru,"  ji.  525. 


il! 


'I  '■  i 


^'i., 


M 


'iii 


s  boon  corrr- 

.1  little  col- 

iiitihiKitana 

^•r  niciuiuiis 

llio   little 

foot   of  the 

<>l)able  that 

I 't   the  sun, 

the  tem[)Ie 

WW  uiu'er- 


Diibtless  (111 
1 70).  It  is 
ts  sr.minit  ; 
:i  few  \ears 
ell,  with  so 
>ly  t)f  tap.i- 
1  the  sh.u)e 
,  perfectly 
oniinotlate 


I.  =;2^. 


rERU. 


419 


Various  guesses  have  been  ha/arded  as  to  the  purpose  of 
the  intihuatanas.  The  most  plausible  is  undoubtedly  that 
representing  them  to  be  gnomons,  used  for  measuring  the 
height  of  the  sun. 

The  fortress  of  Piquillacta  was  situated  on  the  south  of 
the  possessions  of  the  first  Incas,  not  far  from  the  quarries 
which  supplied  the  stone  for  the  buildings  of  Cuzco.  i\ 
wall  seven  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long  by  thirty  six  feet  wide 
at  the  base,  and  thirty-four  feet  high,  is  still  standing  to 
mark  its  site. 

The  jambs  of  the  two  entrances  are  of  dressed  stone,  the 
other  parts  of  rubble-stone,  set  in  clay.  Near  Piquillacta 
was  the  ancient  town  of  IMuyna,  where  the  Inca  Yahuar- 
Huacac  took  refuge  in  his  terror  at  an  invasion  of  the  Chin- 
chas,'  and  where  his  son  Viracocha  compelled  him  to  reside, 
after  having  conquered  the  rebels  by  his  courage  and  bound 
his  brow  with  the  royal  llautu.' 

On  the  banks  of  the  Apuriniac,  which  would  appear  to  be 
the  jjrincipal  branch  of  the  Amazon,  on  the  crest  of  the  but- 
tress of  a  glacier  surrounded  b)'  precipices,  rose  the  fortress 
of  Choccecpiirao,  its  name,  meaning  precious  cradle,  pointing 
out  its  purpose,  which  was  to  serve  as  the  residence  of  the 
heirs  to  the  crown  of  the  Incas.  Later,  this  stronghold  was 
the  refuge  of  the  last  survivors  of  the  race  of  Manco- 
Capac. 

Nothing  could  equal  the  wild  grandeur  of  these  places.' 
We  are  astonished  at  finding  the  industry  of  man  gruning  a 
footing  on  the  rocks  where  the  condor  had  built  its  eyrie. 
The  first  ruins  to  meet  the  eye  of  the  traveller  are  those  of 


thi 


IIU 


ter  circuit  of  defence.     An^rrand  has  suirircsted  that 


'  Garcilasso,  /.  c,  vol.  I. 

'  The  llatitti  was  a  bandage  which  passed  three  or  four  times  round  the  head, 
and  was  ornamented  with  a  fringe  falling  over  the  eyes.  It  was  black  for  the- 
members  of  the  Inca's  family,  yellow  for  his  direct  descendants,  and  the  Inca 
alone  had  the  right  of  wearing  a  red  llautu.  He  also  wore  as  insignia  the 
Masca-fiaycha,  or  red  aigrette,  and  the  caiac-oiigo,  or  royal  mantle. 

•  Desjardins  ;  "  Le  I'c'rou  avant  la  Conquete  Espagnole,"  p.  138  et  seq.  The 
Conitc  de  Sartigcs  in  1S34,  and  Angrand,  1847,  are  the  only  Frenchmen  who 
have  visited  Choccequirao,  and  it  is  from  them  we  take  these  details. 


\ '  1 !  \ 


f'ii 


I 


*  ^"' 

1 

1 

11 

•  ■% 

: 

i 

^ 

I 


III 


fA 


;1  ! 


til! 


$\ 


m-M^^- 


420 


rRi:.nis  tork.  ■  a  m  erica  . 


the  buildin^^s  next  seen  served  as  a  prison,  as  he  liad  noticed 
that  the  doors  were  closed  with  stones  of  enornious  weight. 
A  hundred  and  fifty-three  yards  lower,  following  the  inclina- 

oni, 

in  which  we  can  still  see  the  site  of  the  bath,  which  must 
Id,  as  were  all  the  vessels  and  utensils  in  use 


tion  of  the  crest,  we  come  to  the  palace  and  to  the  bath-ro 


ave  been  ni  <ro 


amongst  the  Incas.  I'arther  on  are  two  buildings  which, 
according  to  Angrand,  were:  the  one  a  banqueting-hall, 
about  forty-five  yards  long  by  thirteen  wide,  with  windows 
resembling  those  of  F.g\-ptian  monuments ;  the  other,  a 
menagerie.  In  the  walls  of  the  menageries  are  found  pro- 
jecting stone  rings,  to  which  were  chained  fero^Mous  animals 
sent  to  the  Incas  from  all  parts  of  their  dominions. 

The  palace  includ(.'s  thret'  groups  of  rectangidar  buildings, 
two  of  them  about  (.lex-en  \arcls  l)rt)ad  b}-  sixteen  and  a  half 
long;  the  third,  eight  and  .i  half  yards  by  sixteen  and  a  half ; 

and  one  upper  stor)'. 


the  two  first  consistinij-  of  a  uround-il 


oor 


Tl 

f. 


u\'   are 


liVKled 


Icni 


rtl 


iwa\s   b\-   an    mternal    wall,   which 


rnis  two  elon^aled   chambers  on  each   story 


The  third 


building  had  on!_\-  a  griiuiid-tloor,  on  a  lc\-el  with   the  upper 
storv  of  the  other  Iwn.  the  terrace  crowninij'  it  'Mvinsj  acce-ss 


to  t! 


lem. 


On  tlie  otiier  side  of  the  palace,  at  a  considerable  eleva- 
ti(in,  i>  a  n.'gular  lorn\>-.  which  conuuands  the  entr.uice,  and 
leaves  no  outlet  Init  lour  npeiiings  made  in  the  walls  on   the 


summit    of   the  crest  ;    beyond   tlu 


our  doors   are    rums, 


)rc 


)bablv  th( 


a  teni] 


lie. 


We  might  multiply  such  descriptions,  for  all  over  the  vast 


coiintr\-   of    tl 


liica- 


w  c 


oft 


meet    with    imposing 


huikluT's, 


en  eK'vated  at  in  lecessible  heiuhts.    Do  the  Indians  kn 


ow 


of  other  paths  than  those  lli.it  tin-  few  travellers  of  to-day 
dare  attempt  ?  This  is  a  point  that  remains  doubtful  ; 
but  even  if  practicable  riiutes  should  be  discovered, 


we  shal 


sli 


11  be  confronted  with  difficulties  ajjparently  insurmount- 
able, though  they  do  not  seem  to  have  at  all  baffled  tlu; 
ancient  inhabitants  of  the  country. 

More  useful  works  h.ive  1 


)een  ])reserve(.l  as  witnesses 


toth( 


Hj 


rEini. 


421 


■  s 


government  of  the  Incas.  Roads  intersected  the  country 
at  a  time  when  there  were  none  in  Europe.  Two  of  these 
roads  went  from  north  to  south,  from  Quito  toward  Cuzco ; 
one,  for  a  distance  of  1,200  miles,  crossing  the  sierras  and 
buttresses  of  the  Andes,  buried  beneath  perpetual  snow. 
This  was  the  road  followed  by  Almagro,  when  he  was  sent 
by  Pizarro,  to  bring  Chili  to  submission.  The  other,  finished 
by  the  Inca  Iluayna-Capac,  followed  the  coast,  and  its 
length  was  1,600  miles.  These  roads,  which  Humboldt 
does  not  hesitate  to  compare  with  the  Roman  causeways, 
were  from  eighteen  to  t\vent\--six  feet  wide ;  they  were  pro- 
tected from  landslips  b)-  \\alls  of  earth,  were  paved  with 
blocks  of  stones  and  in  some  parts  covered  with  broken 
stone,  a  first  attempt  at  macadamizing.  They  always  fol- 
lowed the  straight  line,  crossing  the  steepest  slopes,  as  the 
Indians  who  do  not  know  how  to  turn  by  an  obstacle  still 
do.  The  ravines  and  marshes  were  crossed  by  embankments 
of  mast)m-}- ;  rocks  were  cut  through,  sometimes  for  a  con- 
siderable distance  ;  streams  and  torrents  were  spanned  by 
bridges  made  of  the  fibres  of  the  aloe,  creepers  or  reeds,  the 
lightness  of  \\hieh  was  not  incomixitible  with  strength.  The 
mode  of  construction  of  tiiese  bridges,  which  are  still  in  use, 
is  very  simple.  Two  ropes  of  maguey  or  agave  fibre  a  few 
inches  in  diameter,  pass  over  masonry  piers  and  are  firmly 
secured  at  a  distance  of  sixteen  to  twenty  feet  from  the  pier. 
Vertical  ropes  are  fastened  to  these  cables,  and  on  them 
rests  the  platform  of  the  bridge,  made  of  woven  reeds.  The 
Peruvians,  however,  knew  how  to  make  masonr\-  bridges. 
That  of  Rumichaca,  for  instance,  dates  from  the  time  of 
Iluayna-Capac'  Here  and  there,  where  vegetation  was 
possible,  the  road  \\,is  planted  with  trees,  which  ensured 
shade  and  freshness,  and  in  the  mountains,  tambos,  where 
the  wearied  traveller  could  rest,  were  built  at  convenient 
distances. 

Such   is   the  account  given  by  Spanish    historians'  who 

'  BoUaiirt  :  "  Ant.  Ethn.  and  oilier  Researclic;,"  p.  go. 

"  Wo  nuMition  especially  Zurate,  "  Hist,  del  nescubriniieiUo  y  Conquista  ilel 


I. 


:V 


i' 


\i  I 


il 


■1  '  t 


(  i 


iv. 


;  ,( 


n 


li^ ! 


'  < 


/ii'' 


ih' 


/■!., 


^', 


;  ivh 


422  I'RE-IIISTOKIC  AMEHICA. 

have,  however,  somewluit  exaggerated  the  importance  of 
these  works.  Recent  researches  have  estabHshetl  the  truth. 
At  certain  points  of  tlie  route,  especially  in  the  most  dilTi- 
cult  parts,  the  road  was  not  cut,  the  rock  was  not  le\-elK(l, 
but  the  direction  to  be  followed  to  avoid  the  precipices  wa^ 
merely  indicated  by  stakes.  In  declivities  stt:ps  liad  bet  n 
made,  upheld  only  by  a  row  of  little  stones;  these  arc;  not 
flights  of  steps  .suitable  for  aiding  the  ascent,  but  merel)'  liii- 
bankments  to  prevent  landslips.  As  the  I'eruxians  had  hd 
beasts  of  burden,  journexs  were  made  on  foot,  and  freight 
was  carried  on  the  shoulders  of  men.  Under  these  circum- 
stances, these  paths,  defective  as  they  must  ap]iear  to  us, 
met  all  the  needs  of  the  inhabitants. 

We  ha\  e  alrcad)- said  that  A\ali,'r,  so  precious  in  Irnpical 
climates,  was  carcfull)- Cdllccled  in  re>er\-oirs  placed  in  ele- 
vated situations,  and  then  couelucted.  by  in.isoiirv  iicec|uias  or 
irrigation  canals  to  di-tances  ol'ten  of  nian\'  miles.  "  I  have 
fojlowcil  them  for  d.iys  together,  and  ha\  e  sern  them  wiiiil- 
ing  amidst  thr  projretions  of  hills,  curving  in  and  out  a^ 
the  lopograpliy  rc([uiit(l :  luTi-  su>laiiu(l  by  high  walls  (jf 
masoni-y,  there  cut  into  the  ]i\  ing  rock,  and  in  some  easi's  con- 
ducted in  tuiuKls,  tin-ough  ^\\\\\\\  spurs  of  the  obstructing 
mountain^.  Occasion, ill)-  tlu_\-  were  carriinl  over  narrow  val- 
leys or  depressions  in  the  ground,  on  endjankments  lift)- or 
sixty  feet  high  ;  but  geiurall_\-  they  were  dellecti'd  around 
opposing  obstacles,  on  an  eas\-  and  uniform  descentliiiL; 
grade  "  (.Scpner:  "  IVru,"  p.  JiS).  To  give  a  faint  idea  of 
what  these  works  were,  \\e  mention  the  valley  of  LaNepana, 
a  reservoir  made  b_\' means  of  ;i  dam  of  strcniglx-  cemented 
pieces  of  rock,  shutting  in  two  dee[)  gorges.  'I'his  reservoir 
was  three  fourths  (if  a  mile  lr>ng  by  a  width  of  half  a  nule. 
The  walls  were  eight\-  feet  thick  at  their  base,  and  coukl 
bear  the  greatest  ])ressure.  Wiener  also  mentions  u  remark- 
able hydraulic  work,  in  which  large  ci.sterns,  in  communica- 

IV-ni,"  .\nvers,   l8?5,  book  1.,   ch.  XIH.     Consult    .also  Cie./.i    de    Leon   (cli. 
XXXVII.),  G.ircil.isso,  and  .imoiigst  luoileni  writers,  Humboldt,  Kivero,  .iiid 

I  >tllU(li, 


i   111 


:(■: 


/ 


i 


PERU. 


423 


tioii  with  each  other,  conducted  at  a  considerable  height  the 
water  of  the  Cerro  de  Pasco  to  the  Cerro  de  Sipa. 

Constructions  of  minor  importance,  but  nevertheless  of 
great  interest,  are  to  be  seen  at  Huanuco  Viejo,'  where  stood 
a  palace  of  the  Incas  (fig.  171),  and  where,  according  to  a 
tradition  perhaps  founded  on  the  numerous  sculptured  pu- 
mas ornamenting  the  walls,  the  monarchs  kept  a  menagerie. 
Monumental  doors,'  somewhat  resembling  the  Egyptian 
pylones,  gave  access  to  these  buildings. 

Water-works  were  necessary  not  only  for  the  food-supply 
of  the  population,  but  also  for  irrigation.     Agriculture  was 


l'"iu.  171. — -Tlic  castle  of  lliiaiuico. 

held  in  great  honor  anu)ngst  the  ancient  Peruvians,  and  no 
difficulty  deterred  iheni.  In  the  isolated  dunes  which 
formed  the  coast,  the  sand  was  tlug  out  to  a  great  depth, 
until  a  naturally  humid  soil  was  reached,  when  the  trenches 
were  filled  with  guano,  the  usefulness  of  which  was  already 
appreciated.  The  gardens  of  the  Inca,  for  such  is  the  name 
given  to  them,  still  retain  their  fertility,  and  it  is  on  a  soil 

'  Iluaiiuci)  Vicjo,  a  short  ilistaiicc  from  the  celebratoil  silver  mines  of  Cerro 
de  I'asco,  is  so  ealleil  to  distinguish  the  ancient  from  the  modern  town,  .situated 
sixteen  leagues  farther  to  the  east.  Xeres  says  that  the  former  was  nearly  three 
leagues  in  circuit.  The  stones,  he  adds,  were  admirably  worked  and  set  one 
upon  the  otiicr  without  cement  or  mortar  of  any  kind.  Taz-Soldan  :  "  Geog. 
del  IVmu,"  p.  271. 

''  "  These  ruins  are  interest iiii;  from  the  six  stone  portals,  one  within  the 
ijthcr."- -Bollaert,  /.  .-.,  p.  Kji^. 


I  .11 


i,   ( 


■    ' 


.','  ' 


1 


i'^ 


Ml 


I 


1 


\\ 


fh 


424 


I'h' /■:-// IS n '/>'/('  AMKh'ic.i . 


[a 


''1!^ 


u 


■V 


thus  prcparctl   tliat   i^nnv  tlu-  richest  vines  which   sunouiul 
the  town  of  Ic.i. 

In  a  previous  work  we  rcniarkeil  '  tliat  burial  has  ever 
been  one  of  tiie  most  solemn  subjects  of  thoui^ht  for  hu- 
manity, and  a  relii^ious  sentiment  has  always  been  connected 
with  funeral  hon()rs.  To  deprive  men  of  burial,  said  ICuripi- 
des,  is  to  otfentl  the  i;ods.  The  history  of  Peru  in  its  turn 
tells  us  the  same  story:  tond)s  are  eve'-\-where  numerous, 
and  the  modes  of  huri.il  are  most  varied.  At  Chimu  corpses 
were  burietl  in  a  doubled-up  position,  and  set  in  the  midst  of 
santl,  the  beds  of  which  Ljradually  decreased  in  size,  so  that 
the  necropolis  fnrmed  a  pj'ramid  as  it  rose.''  Near  Acora,  a 
little  town  not  far  from  the  lake  o(  Titicaca,  the  bodies  were 
placed  uiuler  mei;alithic  stones,'  remindini^  us  of  the  dol- 
mens and  cromlechs  of  luirnpe  (h;,;'.  I72\  One  \-ast  plain  is 
covered  with  stones  placed  erect,  some  formiuL^  circles,  some 
sipiares,  and  often  covered  in  with  lari;e  slabs  closin;^  the 
sepulchral  chamber. 

These  sepulchres  are  the  wurk  of  the  Aymaras,  and  lhe_\- 
probabh'  date  from  the  period  when  these  peo])le  obeved 
independent  chiefs.  All  we  know  of  their  history  is  that 
their  chiefs  bore  the  title  of  C'/inn(is,  which  the\-  retained 
under  the  rule  of  the  Incas.  Later,  as  the  countr\-  ad- 
vanced, clumsy  monuments  i;a\e  pi. ice  to  more  mat^nificent 
tombs;  hence  ihi'  tovwrs  or  cliulpas  which,  mixed  with 
me<;aliths,  cover  the    whole   of    the    plain    of  Acora.     The 

'  "  Lcs  Premiers  Homines,"  vdl.  H.,  p.  2_^;. 

'  Desjardins  (A  c,  p.  16S)  descriliLS  one  of  tlic  laii;csl  of  these  SL-uli)Uire>,  tlic 
IIuaL-a  .San  I'edro. 

^  Mc^'aliilis  are  also  met  wiili,  hearing  witness  to  a  more  advanced  art. 
Wiener  speaks  of  a  cyclopcan  structure  near  Vilcahamlia,  and  Squier  reproduces 
an  interesting  megalith  which  rises  near  Chicuito.  It  is  a  rectangle  sixty  feet 
long,  formed  of  huge  Mocks  of  sto'ies  driven  into  the  earth,  and  rising  fourteen 
feet  above  the  level  of  tlie  soil.  There  is  but  one  opening,  facing  east,  and 
marked  liy  two  blocks  of  considerable  dimensions.  In  .South  America  a  certain 
importance  is  attached  to  these  megalillis.  "  I'ero  lo  (pie  sin  duda  es  aun  de 
mas  imporlancia,  cs  encontrarse  por  nuiclios  jiuntos  del  territorio  reriiano,  con- 
struceiones  en  piedra,  iguales  por  el  estilo  y  el  caracter  a  esos  cromlechs,  dol- 
menes,  circulos  del  sol  o  dnii.iieos  de  la  Kscandin.ivia  las  islas  Hrilanicas, 
Francia,  Asia,"  etc.  (Ameghino,  vol.  1.,  p.  100). 


1\ 


PERU. 


425, 


chulpas  consist  of  a  mass  of  masonry  of  rough  stones  and 
clay,  faced  with  huge  blocks  of  trachyte  or  basalt.  The 
mass  is  so  put  together  as  to  form  a  cist,  in  which  the  corpse 
was  placed ;  the  door,  generally  very  low,  always  faces  cast, 
in  honor,  doubtless,  of  the  rising  sun.  Almost  all  have  a 
cornice  near  the  top,  and  are  set  upon  a  little  platform  of 
slabs.  Squier  mentions  one  more  than  twenty-four  feet 
high.  An  opening  eighteen  inches  square  gave  access  to 
the  sepulchral  chamber,  which  was  eleven  feet  square  by 
thirteen  high,  lie  succeeded  in  getting  into  it  after  great 
difficulties,  but  on!}-  to  find  that  others  had  entered  it  before 


Yw,.  172.  —  Mt'gnliiliic  toiiil)  at  Acoia. 

him,  and  to  pick  up  a  fen-  remains  uf  human  Ixmes  and  some 
miserable  bits  of  pottery. 

We  give  a  drawing  of  one  of  these  chulpas,  situated  in  the 
mountain  near  the  village  of  Palca  (fig.  1 73).  It  rises  above 
a  trench  four  feet  deep,  forming  a  regular  cave,  upheld  by 
walls  of  rough  stone.  It  is  sixteen  feet  high,  and  at  about 
two  feet  from  the  summit  is  a  cornice,  formed  of  icJiit,  a 
coarse  grass,  which  grows  in  the  mountains,  greatly  com- 
pressed and  then  cut  with  the  aid  of  sharp  instruments.' 
The  masonry  is  a  mixture  of  pebbles  and  clay,  coated  with 
stucco,  and  then  painted  white  and  red  so  as  to  form  various 

'  Similar  cornices  are  met  with  in  various  places.  S(iuicr  mentions  one  at 
Tiithtuuiii''  Peru,"  y.  368). 


If 


■?      ■ 


w 


i 


426 


/•A-/:.///S  rOA'/i  •   AMKK/CA. 


:!f1 


'^1 

In: 


11 


i  I 


dcsitrns.  Iluniaii  Ixmics.  mixcil  to<^cthcr  in  tlic  strantjiNt 
disorder,  formed  a  deposit  more  tliaii  a  f<i()t  deep  in  tlu- 
sepulchral  chamber. 

The  chulj)as  arc  ;^enerall\' of  square  or  rectangular  form  ; 
sometimes,  howewr,  we  meet  with  round  towers,  which  1)\- 
a  peculiar  arranj^ement  L,'raduall>'  increase  in  tliameter  from 
the  base  to  tiie  summit.  The  internal  arranj^ements  differ 
no  less  ;  some  enclose  arched  vaults,  others  cists  shut  in  by 
slabs  of  stone,  or,  a;4ain,  mere  niches.  Numerous  in  ]5oIivia, 
antl  in  the  whole  of  the  basin  of  Lake  Titicaca  bounded  1)\- 


I-  ic.   17;    -( 'linl|);i  iirar  I'.ilcil. 

the  Andes  and  the  L'ordilli  r.i,  thr_\- can  be  seen  in  groups, 
varyiii;4  from  tweiil)-  to  a  hundred,  on  the  sides  of  the 
mountains  or  on  ixilatcd  rucks;  e\er\-where  the\-  form  one 
of  the  characteristic  fraluns  of  tin;  landscape. 

Near  Tiuhuani,  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  lake,  we  meet 
with  two  chutpas,  each  cnntainint;  two  sepulchral  cists. 
They  are  painted  red.  \h1Iow,  or  wiiite,  and  as  rain  is  ex- 
tremely rare  throii-li,mi  the  whole  tlistrict,  the  colors  are 
remarkably  well  preserved.     Tluse  double  chulpas,   regular 


PERU. 


427 


family  tombs,  contained  as  many  as  twelve  skeletons.  In 
the  Ksconia  valley  a  chulpa  is  nientioneil,  w  ith  two  sepul- 
chral chambers,  each  with  a  separate  entrance.  It  has  been 
excavated  several  times,  and  completely  stripj)ed  by  tapa- 
tlas.  Some  fra<;ments  of  human  bones  alone  remain  as  wit- 
ness to  its  orii^inal  purpose. 

Las  Casas  '  relates  that,  at  the  time  of  the  Spanish  con- 
quest, the  I'eruvians  still  practised  this  mode  of  burial.  In 
certain  provinces,  he  adds,  their  sepulchres  are    towers  of 


I'll'..  174.— I'".ai'then\v;iro  vase  from  an  aiicicnl  Pcnivian  i()inl>.     (( )iie  i|iirir'.i;r 

oi'ii^inal  si/c.  I 

massive  construction,  hollowed  out  at  the  height  of  an 
estado  (six  feet).  In  certain  spots  the)-  are  round,  in  others 
scpiaic  Tlu-y  are  alwa_\s  \ery  lofty,  and  numerous  enough 
to  co\er  large  si)aces.  .Some  of  the  natives  built  them  on 
emini'iices  half  a  league  and  more  from  towns,  so  that  they 
look  from  a  distance  like  populous  villages.  Every  one  has 
a  separate  ancestnd  tondj.  The  dead  are  wrapped  in  llama 
skins,  on  which  care  is  taken  to  mark  the  e}-es  and  mouth; 
the  corpses    are  then    covered  with     other    garments,    and 

'  "  Hist.  .Vpologetica  lie  las  Iiulias." 


i      1 


\    ' 


ifi 

ili 


'% 


*i 


A 


I  • 


/  • 


0' 


:'i  I 


[I ''I 

t  '  I' 


■'i 


;  •, ' 


•  tt 


\\ 


iH 


428 


J'Kf.-JIJSfuK/C  AMEK/CA. 


placcil  in  ,1  sittiii;^'  posluiT,  ulicn  tlu;  doors  of  tlu'  lonihs, 
wliich  uhvaxs  opci\  to  the  r.i-;t.  air  walkil  up.  In  ollur 
places  the  dead  are  wrapped  up  as  w  c  have  describctl,  .md 
tlu'u  placed  in  their  houses,  often  aniouij  the  livin^i;.  'riu\- 
do  not  I'lnit  an_\-  snu'll,  on  account  of  tin:  skins  in  which  tlicy 
are  stroni;]}'  sewn  up,  and  al->o  (.n  account  of  the  cold,  which 
rapidly  numnnirK--  thrni.     The  chiefs  art-  put  in  the  ]>lacc  of 


>ii;.  175.    A  .1-.L'  fiiiin  a  I'cruviaii  Tiu.  lyh. — ^■.l^e  from  an  ancient  tunil; 

•oiuh.     lOiic  fcuinli  naluial  in  iho  l;:iy  of  Chaa.ta.     (Unc 

■■''''•'■'•)  fimiih  natural  si/.c.) 

honor  i)f  ihc-ir  dwuliin^L;-,  loaded   with   the    insiL,mia  of    their 
rank  and  the  trinkets  tluy  affected. 

On  the  coast  of  the  Pacific  the  modes  of  burial  were  dif- 
ferent. .\'e;ir  ( juito.  north  of  the  kint^alom  of  the  Incas.  the 
bod\-,  reduced  to  ,1  state  of  coin[)lete  desiccation,  was  de- 
posited in  a  tonil)  constructed  nf  stone  or  adobe,  and  \ases, 
often  of  peculiar  form  (fiL:s.  174,  175,  i;*,,.  wi:re  placed  near 
tlu' corpse.      'Ihese  \ases  '  were    inteiuled    to   hold   maize  or 

'  Some   vasos  of  nearly  -similar  form    are   ^till   used   to  j.repare   infusions  of 


PKRV 


429 


I  toiiihs. 
Ill    other 

r-'l-  ''ikI 

riuy 
jell  tliL'y 
jl,  which 
(l>l.irc  (,f 


chicha,  the  latter  obtained  by  the  fcrmcnlation  of  roasted 
maize,  which  has  always  been  the  favorite  national  bcveraye. 


F"[G.  177. — Ayniara  mummy. 
I'roin  these  tombs  ha\'e  been  taken   little   copper  hatchets ; 

Coca.     ("  Eiythroxylon  coca.")    An  excellent  monograph  on  this  plant,  by  Dr. 
L.  A.  Cosse,  w.is  inihlislicd  at  lUussels  in  1S61. 


\ 


,        ; 


'       |i' 


iJ-, 


■I 


''  .. ' 


1 

'S) 
'I 


1 


i:i 


430 


/'A'/:.///S/(>A7i-  AM/.k'/C.t. 


lookin<j-^liissis,  sonic  oi  polisluMl  sloiu'  or  ohsidi.m,  otlins  of 
metal  ;  pendants  for  tlic  nosr  or  thr  tars;  bracelets  ami  liltlj 
fi^urrs  ill  LJoUl  or  silver.  In  llu'  rxtrcnie  south  of  the  whnlc 
of  the  valley  of  Copiapo  (Chili)  is  co\crecl  with  niouiul- 
sliapid  huacas.  nicasiirin^f  as  nuicli  a--  twrlvi.'  fcit  in  luii;lu, 
by  Iwenly  or  thirty  loni;.  Darwin,  in  his  vo>-.i_L;e  round  tiic 
worUI,  assisted  at  the  L\ea\  .ition  of  on.'  of  tlu'sc  tumuli. 
which  containid  two  skelrtons,  oiir  of  a  man  and  oni' of  a 
woman.  (I'^ii;.  177.)  Juili^iiit;-  from  the  oi)jccts  picked  uj) 
in  this  tomb,  its  inmates  had  beloni^ed  to  the  ])oorest  class. 
These  objects  were  Lu\L;e  e.irthenwari'  jars  of  the  coar>est 
Workmanship,  stone  arrow-points,  coppi  r  pins,  and  roui;lil\' 
hewn  stones,  intendeil  for  ijrindinL!;  niai/.e.' 

Hetweeil  these  twt)  e.\treme>  we  nu'et  with  other  tombs, 
varyiiit;-  according;  to  the  wealth  of  the  -'iirvixor.  Some  hu- 
acas near  Arica,  excavated  in  171J,  ha\e  brout;ht  to  li;^ht 
mummies  wrapped  in  rich  cloth,  h.i\  iiii;'  l)eside  them  \ases 
ot  l;oU!  nr  siKer."  The  bodies,  niununified  i)\'  the  drynes->  nf 
the  climate,  for  llu'\-  show  no  traci'  nf  embalnun;^,  were  in  a 
siltini,f  posture ;  several  held  in  the  mouth  a  little  j^olden 
placiue.'  In  1836,  other  explorers  resumed  tlu-^e  excavations 
on  the  shores  of  the  \\[\y  of  Chacota,  .1  mile  and  a  half  from 
Arica.'  The  tomi)s  were  all  of  circular  form,  their  diameter 
var\  in<^  from  three  to  fue  feet,  and  their  dei)th  from  five  to 
six.  The)-  were  often  surrounded  by  a  cromlech  of  erect 
st(jnes,  whilst  others  were  surmounted  b\-  a  mound.  All  re- 
tained traces  of  lari^e  fires  li^dited  after  tlu:  burial,  doubtless 
in  accordance  with  a  sacreil  rite. 

The  i;reater  number  of  these  tombs  had  been  violated. 
Those  still  intact  enable  us  to  judt;e  of  the  mode  of  burial  ; 
some  of  the  corpses  had  evidently  been  dried  before  inhu- 
mation ;  others   were    co\ered    with  a  resinous    substance." 

'  "  Voyage  of  the  Beagle."     BollaL-rt,  /.  c,  p.  175. 
'  IJolIacrt, /(V.  «■/. ,  p.  151. 

'  Rivero  et  Tschudi  :  "  Antiguidadcs  rcruanas." 

'  J.  niake  :  "  Notes  on  a  Collection  from  the  Ancient  Cemetery  of  the  liay  of 
Chacota"  ;  "Report  I'eabody  Museum,"  vol.  11.,  p.  177,  etc. 

'  Agassis  mentions  mummie';  proscivcd  l>y  tills  process   at  I'isagua.     Accord- 


\ 


\i' 


l^i 


i^^ 


X 


,tfl 


()tlin>  of 
md  liUl.' 

nidiiinl- 
1  lui_L;lit, 
)Uiul  llu' 
■   tunuili, 

dlU'   of  ,1 

ckcd   ii|) 

vst  l'l.l>S. 

coarsest 
rou^lily 

r  tombs, 

■iolilr  liu- 

to  li-!it 

nil  \;isi.'S 

lAIK'SS  of 

\wvv  ill  ,1 
r  _l;'('1c1('I1 
c.u'atioiis 
half  from 
diaiiK'tcr 
111  five  to 
of  crci t 
.  All  rv- 
Joubtlcss 

violated. 
)f  burial  ; 
:)rc  iiilui- 
ibstance." 


f  the  l>;iy  of 
1.     Accoril- 


PERU. 


431 


All  were  seated  on  slabs  of  stone,  the  arms  folded  on  the 
breast,  the  legs  drawn  up,  and  the  head  resting  on  tlie  knees. 
They  were  clothed  in  coarse  linen  cloth,  sewn  with  strong 
cactus  thorns  like  needles,  which  were  left  in  the  garment. 
The  bodies  wore  all  the  objects  used  during  life;  men  (fig. 


?"!(■..  17S. — Peruvian  mummy. 

178)      d  their  weapons,  implements,  and  ornaments;  chil- 

ing  to  I'utnam,  those  from  the  necropolis  of  Ancon,  are  not  embalmed  by  the 
aid  of  resinous  substances.  On  this  latter  cemetery,  Wiener  ("  Peru  and 
Bolivia"),  who  has  excavated  numerous  tombs,  should  be  consulted,  and  also 
the  magnificent  worl  by  Reuss  and  Stlibel  :  "  The  Necropolis  of  Ancon  in 
Peru." 


I' 


li 


I 


I  \ 


,i 


1      I    ^« 


m* 


'/: 


I,    < 


y'' 


'i'/i 


^   I 


'I 


(,i 


"i: 


432 


PKE-J//S T( )A7C '  ,-/ .]//■: A' /C.I . 


dren  their  tcys;  women,'  their  distaffs  filled  with  wool,  and 
balls  of  thread.  wot)den  needles,  often  of  ^reat  fineness, 
combs,  and  several  instruments  of  which  the  use  is  unknown  ; 
little  shells  used  for  money'';  bai;s  containinij;  either  hair 
(^the  last  memento  L;i\en  to  the  dead)  or  provisions  for  the 
long  voyage — such  as  e;i.rs  of  maize  or  coca  leaves.  The 
Peabody  Museum  owns  a  regular  work-box,  containing  a 
woman's  implements  for  neetlle-work,  which  was  found  under 
a  huaca  of  I'eru. 


Fig.  179.— Mmiiniy  of  .\  wonuiii,  fdiuul  at  the  I?ay  of  Cb.icola. 

i\ll  these  obi^,.i>.  thanks  to  the  ilr\-ness  of  the  climate, 
are  in  a  wonderful  state  of  ]r  eserv.itiou.''  With  touching 
Lnoughlfulne.•^s,  the  relations  of  the  dea-  woman,  whose  re- 
mains we  figmv,  lunl  plaeetl  near  her  not  only  vases  of 
every  shape  ifig.  174,  175,  176,    iSo),  but  also  the  cloth  that 


'1  Ik  figure  we  give  (Hl;,  1791,   is  n-producecl    from  a  photograph,    prejiared 
after  all  the  (ibjetts  worn  by  the  woman  had  been  taken  off, 
■  "  Littoriiiareniviana."' 
'  "  liuU.  Soi;.  Aiith.,"  18S1,  p.  550. 


I 


PERU. 


All 


ivool,  ;ind 
fineness, 
inknown  ; 
thcr  liair 
s  for  the 
■cs.  TIr' 
tainiiiir  a 
md  under 


she  had  begun  to  weave,  and  which  death  had  prevented 
her  from  finishing.'  Her  hair,  of  a  fight-brown  color,  was 
fine  and  carefully  kept.  The  legs,  from  the  ankle  to  the 
knee,  were  painted  red,  a  fashion  probably  deai'  to  Peruvian 
coquetry,  for  care  had  been  taken  to  place  near  the  dead 
little  bladders  full  of  resinous  gum  and  red  powder  for  her 
toilet  in  the  new  life  that  had  begun  for  her." 

At  Iquique,  one  huaca contained  no  Icssthan  five  hundred 
bodies,  all  seated  and  wrapped  in  long  mantles  of  different 
colors."     Some  rites  arc  still  unexplained  ;  fo.-  instance,  in 


♦1 


M.i. 

climate, 
touching 
^•hose  re- 
vases  of 
loth  that 


1,    preiiarc 


.1 


Fig.  I  So. — IJowl  from  ■a  tomb  at  Cliacota  Hay. 

1830,  a  huaca  was  discovered  surrounded  by  a  circle  of  red 
stones,  in  the  centn-  of  which  was  found  the  skeleton  of  a 
woman,  and  near  her  those  of  four  men,  on  each  of  which 
three  l.u'ge  stones  had  hi  en  placeil.  Amongst  thenumerou.s 
objects  belonging  to  this  sepulchre,  the  statuette  of  a 
woman  is  nienti(.)ned,  with  the  face  of  silver. 

I'.ichac.imac,  as  we  have  said,  was  a  sacred  place  to  the 

'  At  Pachacainac  excavations  have  brought  to  light  a  loom  of  half-woven 

llssiu-. 

'■'  The  (ialil)i  wonicii  still  paiiil  their  K'gsn'ilh   'I'oncou,  a  vegetable  powilor  of 
i.  tine  red,  which  they  ilis-olve  in  oil  exlraetetl  from  certain  oleaginous  seeds. 

*  Hollaert,  /.  c,  \\  179. 


i^ 


-'^^ 


b'l 


n 


n,  I? 


!ij 


\^ 


f$ 


f.V';!;, 


■M' 


V;:    -i 


li!'! 


434 


rA'/--///S/VA'/C  .I.U/'-.A'/C.l. 


ancient  inhabitants  cf  IVru,  and  tlic  temple  was  a  ^^lal  of 
pilL;rimaL;c.  Its  ai)])r(iachcs  arc  one  vast  cemeter)-,  ami  the 
sandy  soil,  iniprc^naled  as  it  is  with  nitre,  has  preserved  to 
this  da\'  the  mummies  entnistetl  to  the  i^rinind.  In  some 
jilaees  it  is  cas\-  to  make  out  three  ov  four  Ia\ers  of  bodies  ; 
"fenerations  of  worshippers  rest  beiiealh  the  shadow  of  the 
walls  that  were  the  object  of  their  adoration.  The  tombs 
were  made  of  adobe,  and  were  thatched  o\er  with  leeds. 
The  bodies  Avere  tloubled  up.  or  rather  coijctl  round,  and 
then   wrapped    in   \er\' 


nne 


cotton   cloih,  ami   \n  covcrmi^s 
made  li'oni  the  wool  of  the 
\icuuaorthe  alpaca.    1  lere 
too   the    tondjs  contained 
the    most  tliverse  (objects. 
Tho     rich     retained     their 
ormamcnts,  but  the   poor 
li.ul    to   be  content  with  a 
little  bit  of    copiier,  which 
served  the  pur])i)--e  of  the 
obolus  set  aside  for  ("haron 
ill    the     funeral     rites     ot 
(ireece.       Wiener,    in    his 
excaxations     at    A  neon, 
found    a  L;reat   nundjer  of 
the-^e  little  siher  or  bronze 
platesplaced  in  the  mouths 
of  the  mummies.     \W  the  side  of  each  were  placed  the  im- 
plements of  his  profession;    near  the   fisher,   net   and    tlsh- 
hot)ks,  near  the  youn;^  L^irl,  household  utensils.     With  the 
vases  al\va\-s  met  with   in   I'eruvian  sepulchres  were  often 
found  at  I'achacamac  rouL;hly  cut  bits  of  (piartz  or  crystal, 
which    were,    accordini^^   to    h^ither   .\rriaga,'    Canopas,    the 
Lares  Penates,  or  j^ods  of  the  hccUth,  who  were  to  continue 
their  protection  to  the  deceased  in  the  new  life  on  which  he 
was  entering  ;  the  canopas,  whose  duty  it  was  to  watch  over 
the  family,  were  always  j^n'ven  to  the  eldest  son. 

'"  Exlirpacion  ik-  l.i  Idolalria  ik'l  I'cru,"  Lima,  1621. 


1""k;.  181. — I'ilcher  from  an  anciiiil  IVni- 
vian  scpukhiL'.     (Natural  >-\ic.) 


PERU. 


435 


I  t;();il  of 

and  the 

cr\-ccl  lo 

111   SOIIK' 

1)1  K lies  ; 
\v  of  the 
ic  tombs 

1  i-ccils. 
uiul,  aiul 
owriiiL^s 
)ol  of  llu' 

CM.  Here 
■ontained 
;  objects. 
ed  the  li- 
the poor 
nt  with  a 
cr,  whieli 
se  of  the 
>r  Charon 
riti's  of 
r.  in  his 
A  neon, 
umber  V){ 
or  bronze 
le  months 
1  the  inl- 
and fish- 
With  tile 
ere  often 
r  crystal, 
opas,  the 
continue 
which  lu: 
utcli  over 


Leaving  the  Pacific  we  find  caves,  artificially  widened  if 
necessary,  often  serving  as  burial-places.  In  the  valley  of 
Yucay,  as  in  that  overlooked  by  the  fortress  of  Pisac,  the 
ahnost  inaccessible  sides  of  the  mountains  are  covered  with 
them  to  a  height  of  several  hundred  feet  ;  and  to  this  day 
the  few  inhabitants  of  the  country  call  them,  In  memory  of 
their  inmates,  Tantavia-Marca,  or  the  precipices  of  desohi- 
tion.  The  funereal  rites  were  similar  to  those  we  have  de- 
scribed ;  the  bodies  were  seated,  sometimes  wrapped  in  cot- 
ton rlotli,  sometimes  in  mere  mats,  but  all  have  the  head 
resting  on  the  knees  ;  some  vases  and  very  rude  implements 
made  up  all  the  furniture  of  the  tombs. 

In  the  valley  of  Paucar-Tambo  the  rocks  had  been  levelled, 
and  tlie  tombs  wrought  of  dressed  stone.  They  were  walled 
up  after  the  burial,  and  the  stones  were  covered  with  a  coat- 
ing of  stucco,  painted  in  brilliant  colors.  The  care  bestowed 
on  these  tombs  was  an  irresistible  attraction  to  tlie  tapadas ; 
they  were  the  first  to  be  violated,  and  every  thing  that 
they  contained  was  dispersed,  without  any  good  results  for 
science." 

]\Iany  travellers  also  mention  a  cave  of  some  extent,  which 
has  receivi'd  the  appropriate  name  of  Infcrnillos'^  At  the 
entrance  are  rude  sculptures,  representing  personages  of  both 
sexes.  On  the  walls  we  notice,  several  times  repeated,  the 
impression  of  a  human  hand,  traced  either  with  cinnabar  or 
oxide  of  iron,  or  yet  more  simply  by  the  application  of  an 
actual  hand,  wet  with  a  coloring  substance.  This  is  the 
mano  Colorado,  of  the  meaning  of  which  we  ,m-c  ignorant,  but 
which  is  met  with  at  various  points  in  the  two  Americas,  and 
also  in  Australia.^ 

The  Peruvians  distinguished  the  intelligent  and  immaterial 
soul  {ntiia)  from  the  body,  the  name  of  which  {irHpacaiiuisca), 
animated  earth,  is  characteristic'  They  believed  in  a  future 
life  ;  and  the  man  who  had  well  employed  the  time  of  liis 

•  Squier  :  "  rem,"  pp.  491-531. 
'  r.ollacrt,  /.  c,  p.  152. 

'  Milus  :  "  Trans,  Ethn.  Soc,  of  Lomloii,"  vol.  III.     Xa/nn;  May  7,   iSSl. 

*  Desjardins,  /.  r. ,  p.  100. 


ill', 


If 

■h 


'   H 


\\ 


u 


I  .    : 


••      t 


Alf' 


rRF.-nis  toa'h  ■  .  /  mf.rica. 


}\ 


M. 


\\ 


mortalit)'  went  after  death  to  the  Ilanaiipaclia,  tlio  world 
above,  where  he  awaited  his  reward.  If,  on  the  contrary,  he 
liad  led  a  bad  hfe,  lie  was  flunLj  into  the  I'rupachu,  or  world 
below.  This  future  life,  whetlier  happ)'  or  unhapp)-,  was  to 
be  entirely  material.  I  low  else  can  we  interpret  the  ver)- 
different  objects  collected  in  the  tombs,  anions^  the  .\\-inaras 
as  w  ell  as  among  the  Qquichuas,  among  the  i)rcdcccssors  of 
the  Incas,  and  among  the  contemporaries  of  the  Spaniards? 

The  belief  in  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  the  recompense 
of  the  good  and  the  punishment  of  the  wicked,  necessaril)' 
implies  that  in  the  existence  of  bem^s  sn-)erior  to  man,  ex- 
crci>ing  over  him  an  iniluence  ahke  during  his  life  and  after 
his  death.  Tlie  T'eruvians  worshipped,  as  we  have  more  than 
once  remarketl,  the  sun,  the  moon,  the  stars,  and  thunder. 
In  certain  districts  the  earth  was  the  f)bject  of  their  worship  ; 
in  others,  the  sea,  the  spring ;,  the  mountains,  chief!)-  those 
covered  with  sn(nv  {ra::.n').  .Stones  were  also  objects  of 
the  \eneration  of  the  Peruvians.  This  is  explained  by  one 
y)[  their  traditions,  whicl'  relates  th.it  \'ir.icocha  had  endowed 
stones  w  ith  life,  and  thus  created  the  first  men  and  the  first 
wnnieii. 

Siile  by  side  with  the  visible  forces  of  nature  I'xisted  cer- 
tain inferior  god>  :  Papapconopa,  who  was  invoketl  to  ensure 
a  good  harvest  of  potatoes  (sweet  potatoes)  ;  Caullavia,  the 
protector  of  Hoeks ;  Chic/iic,\\\\i^,  like  the  god  Termes,  en- 
sured respect  for  landed  propert\-  ;  and  Lacarvilha,  who  pre- 
sided overworks  (jf  irri;';,uion.  In  other  places  the  dead 
themselves  were  invoked  as  the  proti'Clors  of  their  f.imdies. 
These  gods  were  probably  the  modified  representatives  of  a 
more  ancient  fetichism,  which  have  outliveil  the  people 
among  whom  it  originated.  Some  less  ci\ilized  tribes 
adored  animals,  such  as  the  condor,  the  puma,  the  owl,  and 
the  serpent;  and  even  tin;  products  of  the  earth,  such  as 
maiz-e  and  potatoes.  But  these  different  people,  in  submit- 
ting to  the  laws  of  the  Peruvians,  were  C(jnverted,  willingly 
or  by  force,  to  the  worship  of  the  sun.  The  wars  of  the 
Inc.-is  had  an    essentially   religious  diameter,'   and   may   be 

'  Desj.irdins,  /.  f.,  p.  95. 


PERU. 


437 


compared  with  those  of  the  Mussulmans,  at  the  time  when 
Islamism,  propagated  by  tlie  sword,  spread  with  such  rapid- 
ity over  whole  regions. 

Recent  investigations  have  shown  that,  at  a  certain  period, 
Peruvian  priests  taught  the  existence  of  a  supreme  god,  a 
Dcus  ignotus,  to  whom  no  temple  was  dedicated,'  and  whose 
image  none  were  permitted  to  make.'  He  was  adored  under 
the  name  of  Pachacamac,  in  upper  Peru,  under  that  of  Vira- 
cocha  at  Cuzco  ;  the  sun,  the  moon,  and  the  stars  were  but 
the  symbols  under  which  he  manifested  himself  to  men  ; 
animals  were  his  creation,  and  the  fruits  of  the  earth  a  trift 
of  his  bounty.  Molina  has  preserved  s(>me  very  beautiful 
pra\'ers,  addressed  to  this  particular  god  and  creator;  they 
bear  witness  to  the  most  ejcx  ated  sentiments  in  their  authors." 
Hut  their  authenticity  docs  not  seem  sufficientl}'  proved  ; 
the  attributes  ascribed  to  this  gud  are  inconsistent  with  the 
general  state  of  culture  in  Peru  at  that  period,  and  it  is 
probable  that,  if  the  idea  of  one  su[)reme  ("lotl  did  exist 
an\ongst  a  few  enlightened  spirits,  the  masses  identified  with 
this  !j-od  himself,  the  s\  inbols  which,  to  the  more  enlitrhtened, 
represented   his  attributes. 

The  Peruvians  offered  ilowers.  incense,  animals,  such  as 
tapirs  and  serpents  to  their  gods.  .At  the  grand  festival  of 
the  Raymi  or  sacred  fire,  a  llama  was  sacrificed.  On  certain 
solemn  occasions,  such  as  a  \ictory  or  the  accession  of  an 
Inea,  for  instance,  a  child  or  a  virgin,  chosen  for  her  beauty,' 

'  Tlieic  exists,  liowcvcr,  .a  tL'ii'.plo  erected  in  honor  of  tliis  supreme  god,  by 
tlie  Iiic.a  N'iracoch.T,  to  whinii  he  liad  appeared  to  coiiiiiiand  him,  on  the  refusal 
(if  his  father,  'N'ahuar-IIuacae,  to  march  against  enemies  who  liad  dared  to  in- 
vade the  lands  of  the  sun,  promising  liim  a  decisive  victory.  Garcilasso  has 
preserved  for  us  a  description  of  this  temple,  which  was  destroyed  by  the 
Spanish. 

-  "  Relacion  Anonym,  de  las  Costumbres  Antiguas  de  los  Naturales  de 
I'eru." 

•  "  Saggio  ilella  Sturia  del  Cliili."  Markhani  :  "  Narratives  of  the  Rites  and 
Laws  of  the  Incas,"  published  for  the  Ilakluyt  Society,  London,  1873. 

*  CiarcilassoC  Com.  Real.,"  part  L,  book  IL,  ch.  IX.)  .-\sserts  that  human 
sacrifices  had  been  completely  abolished  liy  the  Incas,  but  the  contrary  is  as- 
serletl   by  the  Spanish  chroniclers,  Sarmiento,   Montesinos,   Halboa,  Cieca  de 


I 


' 


•  I   ■■ 


M 


1^ 


(! 


1/ 

r 


\v 


HJ 


m 


I 

■ )  ■ 


•■ 


!i/n 


/; 


I  '■ 


''  ,' ' 


>     ' 


!■ 


''r) 


\D 


438 


PRE-!IIST0R1C   AMERICA. 


was  slain  before  the  ima^e  of  the  sun  ;  but  these  sacrifices 
were  rare,  aiul  they  were  never  followed  by  the  revoltiiiL; 
feasts  which  invariably  accomi^anied  human  sacrifices 
amoni^st  the  Mexicans. 

It  is  pretended  that  co'''fession  existed  amonj^st  the  I'eru- 
vians,  and  several  Spanish  historians'  agree  in  asserting  this. 
No  one  had  the  special  privilege  of  hearing  it ;  it  could  he 
made  to  all,  to  men  or  to  women  ;  and  the  confessor  had  the 
right  of  imposing  a  penance,  according  to  the  gravit}'  of  the 
faults  confessed.  A  certain  importance  has  been  assigned  to 
these  practices,  by  connecting  them  with  the  dogmas  of 
Christianit}'.  We  think,  however,  that  this  is  merely  an  in- 
teresting coincidence,  if  true. 

The  despotic  authorit)-  of  the  Incas  was  the  basis  of  gov- 
ernment ;  that  authorit)-  was  founded  on  the  religious  re- 
spect yielded  to  the  descendant  of  the  sun,  anil  supported 
by  a  skilfully  combined  hierarclu'.'  The  population  was  di- 
\  ided  into  dccurics,  antl  amongst  the  ten  individuals  who 
formed  each  decury,  the  Inca  or  his  representatives  cho.se 
one,  who  became  the  chii'f  (i\er  the  nine  others.  Five  dccu- 
rics hatl  at  their  lu-.id  a  decurion  of  superior  rank;  fifty 
dccurics  a  chief,  who  thus  commanded  five  hundred  men. 
Lastly,  one  hundrctl  dccurics  obcj-ed  a  supreme  chief,  who 
received  orders  direct  from  the  Inca. 

Ik'sides  this  organization,  which  shared  the  combined  in- 
conveniences of  deni()crac\-  and  despotism,  were  the  Ciiracas, 
)r  governors  of  provinces,     .Some  belongetl  to  the    family 
if  the  Incas;  others  were  descended  from  the  ancient  chiefs 


or 
(.f 


Leon,  Ondcgardo,  and  Acosta.  Tlicii-  unanimity  justifies  us  in  supposing  that 
Garcil.-isso,  as  a  descendant  of  the  Jnc.as,  was  carried  aw.ay  in  his  account  by  his 
natural  vineration  for  liis  ancestors. 

Kste  vilalioma  eligia  scnalalia  confcsores,  paraque  asi  en  cl  Cuzco  conio 
on  todas  las  demas  provincias  y  jiuehlos  confcsaseii  ^ecretaniente  a  todas  las 
personas,  hombres  y  mujeres,  oyendo  ^us  pecados  y  dando  las  penituncias  per 
illos."  The  anonymous  author  of  the  account  from  wliich  we  liorrow these  de- 
tails adds  that  the  confessors  of  the  vir<;ins  of  the  sun  were  obliged  to  be  eu- 
-miciis.  See  Ilerrera:  "  Hist.  (Jen.,"  dec.  V.,  book  IV.,  chap.  IV.  Acosta, 
/.  r.,ch.  XXV. 

"  Desjardins,   /.  c,  p.  117. 


If 


[cnTicfs 
jvoltiiiL; 
[criflix's 

I'crii- 

li;  this, 
uld  be 
lad  the 
of  the 
iK'd  to 
iiias  t)f 
III   ill- 


PERU. 


439 


of  conquered  countries.  Their  dignity  appears  to  have 
been  hereditary  ;  it  passed  to  the  eldest  of  the  sons,  or,  in 
default  of  children,  to  the  eldest  of  the  brothers.  Little  is 
known  as  to  the  exact  position  of  the  Curacas.  In  certain 
cases  they  were  elected  by  the  people,  but  the  election  was 
subject  to  the  approval  of  the  Inca,  who  could  also  revoke 
it. 

Penal  laws  were  severe,'  and  were  enforced  by  the  sole 
authority  of  the  Inca.  Those  yuilty  of  homicide  or  adultery, 
those  who  had  dared  to  blaspheme  the  sun,  or  the  Inca,  his 
representative,  were  punished  with  death.  The  decurion 
who  did  not  denounce  the  crimes  committed  in  his  decury 
was  liable  to  the  same  punishment  as  the  guilty.  The 
sodomite  was  flayed,  the  incestuous  hung.  Marriage  was  per- 
mitted between  relations  outside  of  the  second  deiiree.  As 
with  the  vestals  of  Rome,  the  virgins  of  the  sun  who  broke 
their  vows  were  buried  alive ;  their  house  was  razed  to  the 
ground,  and  the  village  or  town  inhabited  by  their  family 
shared  the  same  fate.  More  venial  faults  were  punished 
with  the  whip  or  imprisonment.  In  other  cases  the  guilty 
was  compelled  to  carry  a  heavy  stone  for  a  certain  time. 

]\Iarriage  was  obligatory  ;  a  man  could  only  have  one 
wife  ;  but  the  Curacas  had  a  dispensation  from  this  rule  ; 
as  for  the  Inca,  the  number  of  his  wives  or  his  concubines 
was  unlimited.  He  chose  them  from  among  the  daughters 
of  his  race,  even  amongst  his  sisters,  and  among  those  vir- 
gins of  the  sun  who  attracted  him  by  their  beauty.  His 
choice  was  limited  neither  by  blood-relationship  nor  religious 
respect.  When  he  was  tired  of  one  of  his  temporary  partners, 
the  honor  of  having  shared  the  royal  bed  followed  her  in 
her  retreat  and  she  was  the  object  of  the  respect  of  all. 

On  a  certain  day  of  each  year,  the  young  men  of  twenty- 
four  years  and  the  girls  of  eighteen  were  united  in  the 
public  square.     The  representatives  of  the  Inca  joined  the 

'  "  El  casligo  era  riguroso  que  por  la  mayor  parte  era  de  muerte  por  liviano 
([lie  fuese  el  delito."  darcilasst)  :  "  Com.  Reales,"  part  I.,  book  II.,  ch.  XII. 
C'h.  F.  de  Santillan  and  the  anonymous  account. 


\m 


! 


n  1 


;  I 


Y 
1 1 


m 

,  ■  Hi, 


•J 


I 


'!    t 


I'! 


>'!■. 


:.:t 


) 


;    I' 


440 


rKi-:-///sTOK/c  .1  Mi.iacA. 


hands  of  each  couple,  and  proclaimed  their  union  before  the 
people.  Such  was  the  onl\'  form  of  niarriaLji' ;  it  does  not 
appear  that  the  inclination  of  tlu'  weilded  pair  was  consulted, 
and  Lreneralh-  evcrx-  one  married  in  his  own  famih-.  'Ww 
decury,  uliicli  nt)ne  could  leave  without  the  express  permis- 
sion of  the  Inca.  was  bound  to  ha\e  a  home  built  for  each 
new  housrhold,  and  to  assiL;n  to  it  land  cnout^h  for  its  sup- 
jxirt.  ( )n  the  birth  of  each  child,  the  aljowanct,'  math' was 
increased  by  one  /</-'-'< ;v  for  a  boy,  anil  a  holj-lam'ga  {ux  w 
girl,  the  exact  \ahu'  of  which  is  uid>;!io\\n.  W'e  onl_\'  know 
that  a  fanei^i  was  eiiua!  to  the  ;;rea  which  could  be  sown 
with  one  hundred  ])oiin(k  of  niai/e. 

This  (livi-jon  of  the  land  was  modified  b)'  an  annual  re- 
vision, and  a  new  i)artition  took  place  according;  to  the  num- 
ber of  tlu'  members  of  each  family.  'I'his  w.is,  as  will  be 
seen,  a  re;^;ular  agnu'ian  l.iw.  I'rixate  property,  such  as  we 
understand  it,  dois  not  >ip  '.ir  to  h,i\'e  existed.'  The  Peru- 
\-i,m  was  simpl_\-the  farmer  for  a  war  of  the  lot  which  fate  or 
the  will  of  the  decurions  assi^iu'd  to  him.  iiesidestlu'  kunls 
belongiiiL;'  to  the  community,  and  (li\isible  amoni^st  all  its 
mendiers.  there  were  others,  .md  these  not  the  least  impor- 
tant, formiiii;'  the  e\clusi\e  pi-opert_\-  of  the  .Sun  or  the  Inca. 
Tht'  inhabitants  had  to  cultiwitt:  the  lands,  ev<,'n  at  their  own 
exj)ense  ;  and  none  but  the  sick  or  inhrm  could  e\'ade  this 
sacred  duty. 

Ll.unas  were  the  chief  ilomestic  animal  of  I'eru.  'I'hcse 
animals  which,  like  their  congeners,  the  camels,  can  exist 
with  the  most  wretched  nourishment  and  li\'e  where  other 
mammals  would  die  of  hunger,  were  \-aluable  in  these  IjarreU 
regions.  All  belonged  to  the  Inca.  lie  chose  the  shep- 
herds who  took  them  in  innnense  herds  into  the  mountains; 
and  at  the  time  aj)[)ointed  their  wool  was  carried  to  the 
magazines  built  to  receive   it.      .V  certain  ipiantity  of  wool 

'  "  Rel.  primer.1  del  I.iceiici.ido  Polo  de  Ondeyardo."  Ondug.irdo  luid  been 
corregidor  of  Cuzco  about  1560.  I'rcscott  obl.-iiiu'd  a  copy  of  his  reporls  which 
were  .iddiessed  to  Phili])  II,,  .ind  are  preserved  in  the  archives  of  Siniancas. 
They  have  since  been  partly  jirinted,  at  the  cost  of  the  liakluyt  Society  of 
London. 


PERU. 


441 


was  distributed  to  each  family,  accordin^r  to  the  number  of 
women  contained  in  it  ;  and  whilst  the  men  were  cultivating 
the  ground,  the  former 
spun  ami  wove  the  neces- 
sary tj;arments.  The  women 
had  also  to  make  a  certain 
quantit)-  of  cloth  which 
was  stored  away  as  a  re- 
ser\e  for  the  unforeseen 
needs  of  the  communit)-. 
The  dwellings  of  the  Pe- 
ruvians were  in  harmon\- 
with  the  i)o,sition  of  their 
inhabitants.  ICxcept  that 
of  the  Incas  or  of  the  Car- 
acas, all  appear  to  have 
been  built  on  the  same 
model '  ;  the  ro(-)ms  hatl  no 


Fk;.  182.     Sepulchral  vase  from  a 
luiaca  of  IVrii. 


communication  except  by  outer  doors  opein'nt;  upon  a  cor- 

ridor,  w  hich  ran  aloni;-  the 
whole  lenc^th  of  the  build- 
in5,^  and  which  ma}-  be 
compared  with  ancient 
cloisters.  Some  of  tlu:  roofs 
had  a  double''  slope  rest- 
iiil;-  on  lateral  walls  with 
two  i;ables,  on  ^\  hich  were 
carrii'd  cross-pieces  formed 
of  cane,  which  were  cov- 
ered with  acjave  leaves, 
maize-straw,  and  some- 
times e\en  with  mats. 
The  organization  above 


Fir..  183. — Peruvian  v.ase  representing;  a 
man  s([uatling  on  the  ground. 


described  guaranteed  the 
undisputed  authority  of  the 
supreme  master.     Each  in- 


'  Comte  <le  Sartiges  ;  Kcv,  des  Deux  Mondes,  1851. 

■^  Wiener,  /.  ,-.,  p.  503. 


1;  n 


.1 


!■; 


%^ 


11 


I    \ 


I 


,/i 


VU-..„^ 


1 1  '■ 


^N' 


V  ,'7i 


,   » 


>'i'ii 


li*:, 


442 


PRE.IIISTORIC  AMERIC^l. 


dividual  formed  part  of  a  clan,  winch  he  was  forbidden  to  leave, 
lie  cdukl  not  ameliorate  either  his  owd 
position,  or  that  of  those  belonj^ini,'  to 
him  ;  nor  could  he  sink  beneath  it. 
Hence  the  motives  which  most  power- 
full)-  move  man,  such  as  patriotism,  am- 
bition, the  desire  of  wealth  and  the  spirit 
of  invention,  were  altfigether  wantin;^. 
Public  spirit  could  not  develop,  and  tills 
is  the  best  explanation  of  the  strani^e  ra- 
piility  with  which  a  few  Spanish  ad\en- 
turers  reduced  to  submission  a  popula- 
tion of  sewral  million  souls. 

I'eruvian  potter)'  was  ecjual   in   execu- 
tion to  the  best  made  by  the  other  races 
of  America.     The  i)otter's  wheel  appears, 
)e  unknown,  and  the  re;4ularity  that  the  work- 
,  without  the  employment  of  mechanical  means 


Flu,  184. — Peruvian 
vase. 


however,  to  1 
inen  obtainec 


Fig.  185. — Piece  df  Peruvian  pottery,  representing  a  llama. 

is  astonishing^.  In  the  arch.eological  museum  at  Madrid 
may  be  seen  a  very  complete  series  of  vessels  from  the 
Pacific  coast,  some  intended  to  be  put  on  the  fire  and  others 
for  use  at  table,  or  in  the  different  apartments.     The  forms 


cave. 

•<  own 

to 

it. 

)\\L'r- 

,  ani- 

spirit 

tini;. 

t  Ill's 

c  ra- 
(Ucn- 
•piila- 


Pl:RL\ 


443 


arc  extremely  varied,  from  the  clumsiest  vessel,  reminclin^j 
us  of  the  lake  pottery  of  luirope,  to  ewers  of  excellent  work- 
inaiiship,  representin",^  men,  animals,  and  a  curious  series  of 
plants,  the  study  of  which  will  enable  us  to  recognize  many 
species  of  the  ancient  flora  of  the  countr)-. 

This  pottery'  was  black,  ^^ray,  or  red.  more  rarely  yellow 
or  blue,"  baked  in  a  kiln.''  and  covered  outside  with  a  per- 
meable varnish,  probably  silico-alkaline.  Some  have  attribu- 
ted this  varnish  to  polishin^Lj  when  cold;  but  Demmin  has 
proved  that  it  was  obtained  b\'  means  of  bakini;,  for  he  could 
not  L,a't  it  off,  either  with  spirits  of  wine  or  \-olatile  oil. 

The  vases  were  moulded 
in  two  pieces,  and  joined  be- 
fore baking;' ;  so  that  the\- 
often  show  a  swellini,^  at  the 
joint.  The  form  was  often 
ovoid  (fii;.  1/6),  anil  a  spicial 
stand  was  absolutcl)'  neces- 
sary to  keep  them  upright. 
The  ornamentation  has  an 
oriijinality  of  its  own  ;  it  is 
less  simple  and  more  involved 
than  that  of  the  Mexicans. 
.Some  vases  are.  however,  dec- 
orated ^vitll  Greek  frets,  loz- 
enges, chevrons.  spiral>.  or  concentric  circles  (figs.  174,  175. 
182).  The  Louvre  possesses  a  remarkable  piece,  of  Peruvian 
origin.unfortunately  hidden  away  for  many  years  in  the  reserve 
collection.''  Its  ornaments  bear  witness  to  a  singular  paral- 
lelism between  Greek  and  American  art.  The  reserve  col- 
lections of  the  Louvre  also  contain  another  piece  of  ])ottery 

'  Dcsjiirdins,  /.  c,  p.  171.     Wiener  :  "Peru  and  Bolivir.,"  p.  620,  ct  scij. 

"  Dcmniin  :  "  (iuide  de  1'  .imateur  de  faiences  cui  de  ]iorcelainos."  3d. 
eililit)n,  Paris,  1S67.  13arnard  Davis,  Anlh.  Institute  of  Great  Britain, 
April,  1S73. 

'  Bollncrt  (/.  (■.,  p.  210)  says  tlial  the  pottery  was  baked  in  the  sun,  and  that 
the  use  of  the  kiln  was  unknown.     This  is  an  evident  error. 

*  Dcmmin,  /.  c,  p.  134.     Bircli :  "Ancient  Pottery,"  vol.  II.,  p.  253. 


Fig.  iSf). — Piece  of  Peruvian  jiottery. 


( 


I 


r^  I 


;  i' 


ii 


444  ri<i.-iiisToi<ic  AMI  lacA. 

from  tlu'  I'acitic  coa^l,  tin-  (li.'>ii;ii  i>f  which  n-miiuls  us  uf 
1  IcrcuU's  struL;;j;lint;-  w  ith  ,i  li-^h,  ,i  Mibjcct  so  dIIcii  rcpriJihurd 
l)\-  the  Ktruscans.  At  tlu'  ithnoofapliital  imisi-inn  of  St. 
r>  lLTsl)urt,'  wi-  may  also  sec  a  s(|ii,'.ttinL;  I  ;urc  ralhrr  inun 
Ihaii  a  foot  liiy;!),  of  which  the  cHsproixtrlionatcly  loni;  rars 
recall  the  Orcjoius,  whilst  tlu-  head  is  sunnomilrd  1)\-  a 
mural    crown    rcscmhlin,q    th.it    worn     h\-    cerl.iiii    anticjuc 


'I  ■ 


),  > 


I 


■h 


I'll 


187.  —  A   v.'.nl-  fowiul  at   t 'liiiiilioii.-. 


statues.'     There   is   indeed   not  a  >ini;le   ]'erii\  ian  d  )llection, 
public  or  private,'  which  does  not  tdnlain  txpes  (  urioU'-l\'  re- 

'Scliobel  :  "  Antkiuitc's  AniL-ricaiiics  du  Musl'i.'  Kilin()L;iai>lii(|UL'  do  Saini 
Petersbourj;."     "Coni;.  dcs  .Vmiru.,"  Nancy,  l"^75,  vol.   II.,  p.  273. 

"The  Macedo  colk'clion,  rfCL-nlly  ;u;i]\iired  by  tin.'  I'nis>iati  Goveinmcnt,  cmi- 
tains  luinicrous  types  of  animals.  Many  arc  rtMUdducx'd  in  tliu  Xcii:ellc  Kcviif 
d Ethnographic  (1S82,  Nn.  I|,  whicli,  under  llu-  skilful  direelion  of  Dr.  Ilaniy. 
is  destined  to  render  real  service  to  scii-iKc.      The    l.onvre    .Museum  also  pos- 


IIS    nf 
|(III(  I  (I 
St. 
llldic 

rars 

')>•  a 

|Ui(|uc 


/'/■:a'(/ 


4-[5 


si'inblin^  those  which  Iiavc 
wnjii^ly  l)CLii  supposed  to 
be  I'xclusively  eh;iracter- 
istic  of  the  (^hl  World. 

iN  uiiu  rolls  ])ieces()f  pot- 
ter}' ri'preseiit  nun  (fij^s. 
I  (S3.  1S4),  animals  in  faiiiil- 
iarattitiidi's(fi^s.  185,  iS^); 
a  llama,  for  instance,  eat- 
ini;"  an  ear  of  corn. 

The  I'eahody  Museum 
possesses  fiftj-one  pieces 
from  the  y\L,rassi/,  collec- 
tion, amonj^  them  several 
ri'presentatives  of  mon- 
kr\s,  and  three  human  f\^- 
ures,  from  thirteen  to  sev- 
teen  inches  in  lieit^ht.  Two 
vases  found,  one  at  Chim- 


Fio.  1S9. — A  silvador. 


Fk;.   lis. — Earthenware  vase  found  mulcr 
a  liuaca  near  Santa. 


bote  (f\<^.  1 90),  the 
other  under  aluiaca 
near  Santa (fii;.  1 88), 
are  remarkable.  The 
first  is  the  work  of 
the  Chiimis,  and 
dates  from  the  time 
of  the  ilomination 
of  the  Incas,  for  the 
ears  are  ilistendetl 
b\'  .111  ornament  dat- 
ing" from  the  same 
j)eri()(l  ;  the  second 
W  is  a  human  fii^nire  in 
red  clav,  of  a  ver\' 
characteristic    type. 


sesscs,  in  one  of  its  public  rooms,  a  valuable 'collection  of  statuettes  of  men 
and  animals.  Do  I.Dnjjpcrier :  "  Notice  des  monuments  e.xposcc  dans  la  salle 
des  Anti(iuitcs  .Vinericaines,"  Nos.  65S,  c-t  se(/. 


i 

•1; 


I    - 


i 


i'i 


i  I 


1 1 


1  /; 


Vi 


I' 


I  i'  i 


I ,  ^ 


'  i 

■  'I  ' 


446 


rh'f.-ins 7\  >A'/( '  . / .i/aa7( '. /. 


i." 


■    '1 


•; ' 


4)\ 


^i 


ii 


The  silvHclor  (fii;.  1.S9),  I'T  such  is  tlir  name  given  to  a 
piece  of  pottery  preserwil  in  the  '1  rocatlcro  JMuseuni. 
deserves  special  mcniion,  if  (inl\"  nn  aceoiiiit  of  its  orij^inal- 
it\-.     it   consists  of    two   vases  with   necks  conununicatini; 


Fni.  190.  —  I'ifce  of  piiintpd  ])nttery  rrpresentinij  a  virui-ia  InintiT. 
with   each   other.'      (^ne   only   of  these    necks    is   open,  and 
\vhen  li([ui(l  is  poured  into  it.  the  coni[)n'»ed  air  in  the  other 
escapes  with  a  pecuhar  wliistle  ;  by  a  skihul  contrivance  the 


'J.  Bcrtillcm  :  .Wituir,  khIi  June,  iS-o,  Wiciur  ivinu.  lines  :i  L-crliiiii  lumi- 
bcr  of  silvadors  ;  lluy  rcsfinlilc  llic  F.inisiaii  iinsi/rr/t,-^ ,  ami  )\-i  iiuirc  llic 
double  jars  which  arc  still  inanufacturcil  in  Kalivlia. 


y  Ji 


PERU. 


447 


,1.' 


■11    to    ;i 
USCUIll, 


,  and 

otllLT 

c  the 

I  nimj- 


sounds  arc  modified  so  .is  to  imitate  the  cries  of  different 
animals,  and  even  the  human  voiee.  On  tlie  mouth  of  one 
vase,of  whicli 
w  e    g  i  V  e    a 


drawing;',  is  a 

httic       ilgure 

fairl)'  well  ex- 
ecuted, icpre- 

sentiny  a  man 

h  <>  1  d  i  n  }^-   a 

to  in  a  haw  k, 

the  most  foi'- 

midabiC   wea- 
pon    of     the 

ancient  reni- 

viiiiis. 

Some     piece  ^ 

of    pottery    are 
()  r  n  a  in  e  ii  1 1;  il 
w  i  I  li     subjects 
ll'.e   ex(.'cution    of    wliich 
is     [generally     \  ery    infe- 
rior ;    and  we  e\X'n  woii- 
tler  if  the  \icuria  hunter 
(Til;,    hjo)  is  not   actuall)' 
a     caricature.      Some     of   '[ 
tiiese   paintings    are    cer- 
taiiil\-     symbohcal,      but 
tiieir      interpretation     is 
purely    conjectural ;  oth- 
ersaremoreobscene,'  and, 
singularly  enough,  man)- 
of  them  luuebeeii  picked 
up  under  huacas,  mixed 
with  human  bones. 


Figs.  191  and  102. — Disks  iiitcmkd  to  be 
used  as  car  pendants. 


'"From  the  north  of  I'eru   I  have  seen  clay  figures  characterized   by   a 
prurient  indecency,"    Boliacrt,  /.  (.,  j),  211. 


V  I  !l 


\\ 


ym 


\  t 


u% 


i  I 


i 


m  ■ 


ff'  f 


A 


'J 


^1 


i'l 


IP'   . 


'"  '\4 


It 


4)  i 


i 


!(■ 


U 


^> 


J^~^ 


mitimmlm 


l'"l(j.   i.;3.— iVru.i.m  cloth. 


,     ■    ! 

; 


PERU. 


449 


Like  tlic  Mexicans,  the  Peruvians  made  of  eartlienware 
musical  instruments,  such  as  shepherd's  pipes  or  trumpets, 
and  ornaments  of  all  kinds,  especially  heavy  disks  (fiys.  191, 
192),  intended  to  be  worn  in  the  ears,  and  producing  by 
their  weight  the  grotesque  forms  characteristic  of  the  sub- 
jects of  the  Incas. 

No  American  people  lias  sur[)assed  the  Peruvians  in  the 
manufacture  of  woven  tissues.  The  cotton  they  cultivated 
in  till  irm  and  humid  valleys,  w  ith  the  wool  of  llamas, 
al'iacas,  and  vicuHas,  supplied  excellent  material.  They 
knew  the  art  of 
dx-eing,  the  ->t  ulT 
was  oftni  w  >; 
in  \\"o<>l  of  d lifer- 
ent colors,  and 
1)}-  this  means 
the  m-'-t  vaM'ed 
designs  ■,'.-ei\;  ob- 
tained in  the 
Will  if  it'ig.  193)- 
T  he  CO  1 1  o  n 
clollis,  gX'Uerall)- 
of  great  fmeiiess, 
were  ilwd  in  ilif- 
feri'iit  colors; 
and  the  workmen 
knew  liow,  by 
combinations     of  '■■""-    hM-  —  '*!'-'  '"'>'■  cloth  printing. 

ornaments  or  figures,  to  obtain  the  most  happ\'  results.  I'or 
this  purpose  tliey  used  regular  stamps,  sometimes  of  bark, 
sometimes  of  eatheiiware  I  fig.  194);  the>- also  adiled  feathers 
of 'uilliint;  colors,  tastilx"  shaded,  and  the  garments  of  the 
liicas  aiul  C'ur.icas,  w  illi  their  undulating  colors,  excited  the 
enthusi.ism  of  the  first  Spanish  chroniclers.  Man\'  interesting 
specimens  of  these  Peruvian  stuffs  ma\-be  seen  in  theliritish 
Museum,  and  were  tlescribed  several  \ears  ago  b\'  I'ollaert. 
In  the  Lou\re  and  Trocadero  nuiseums  may  also  be  seen 


I ' 


,   . 


1 1' 


\ '" 


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450 


/'AV  -///.V'/'OAVr  AMF.h'/C.i. 


fraL;nu'nts  rcniarkahU-  tKr  the  \arii.'t\-  dI"  tlu'  combiiiatioii  and 
tlic  natural  taste  of  tlio  workmrii.  (  )iu'  is  rrall)-  aina/rd  ,tt 
the  results  \\  Inch  the}-  ohtaiiied.  in  spite'  of  the  (il)staeles  ti) 
in(histry  presenteil  b)'  their  form  of  j^overninent. 

The  rich  mines  of  Peru,  and  especially  those  of  Pasco,  so 
celebrated,  retain  traces  of  ancient  minin;^  operations,  the 
epoch  of  which  it  is  ililTicult  to  determine.  One  thin^j  is 
certain:  the  arliz.ins  w  ho  worked  the  piecious  met.ds  had 
attained  the  sk'Il  wliich  time  alone  can  i^ive. 

Although  .1  !.;reat  many  objects  ha\'e  disappeared   in   the 

crucible,  there  still  remain  enouL;lt 
bnicelels.  jjiiis,  t  w  et.'/.ers,  and  \ast'S, 
with  ornannMils  in  ndief  (  Til;'.  197") 
topro\e  tile  talents  of  their  jewel- 
lers. The  statuettes  are  even  more 
remarkable  ;  tlu'_\-  include  lizards, 
si'rpents  (  Til;',  k/i).  monkeys,  biids 
with  their  feathers,  llsh  with  their 
scales,  trees  with  their  leaves; 
modelled  some  in  relief,  others 
in  intaL;lio.  The  aiii^t  (\\d  not 
e\en  shrink  from  attemptiuL;'  to 
represent  coniplete  ;.;roiips.  We 
ma_\-  nu'Uti'in  a  child  IxIul;'  in  a 
hammock,  on  which  a  serpent  coiled  lound  a  tree  is  about  to 
fliui;  itself,  and  a  man  seated  between  two  women.  The  latter, 
which  beloUL^'ed  to  ."-^ipn'er's  collection,  wt'iL;lu-(l  forty-m'ne 
ounces.  I'nfort  unalely,  it  is  impo-,.-,il)le  to  L;"i\e  an  illu-^tra- 
tion  ol  it.  If  it  is  true,  as  has  l)een  claimed,  that  the  Peru- 
vians were  iL;norant  of  the  art  of  casting;'  metals,  the  only 
process  known  for  the  production  of  such  complicated  pieces 
was  an  amal_L;amatiou  nf  ^old  with  mercury,  which  latter 
metal  is  \er\'  coumion  in  the  countr\-,  and  known  t<i  the 
Indians  ot  the  i)resent  d.iy.  The  paste  made  1)\-  a  mixture 
oftlh;  two  is  \-ery  plastic,  and  lends  its,  If  easil\' to  modr 
lini;- ;  when  the  artist  had  finished  his  work,  he  \olatiIizetl 
the  mercury,  by  exposing  it  to  a  fierce  heat  ;   the  <jold  alone 


I'U..    195. — Silvrr  \•,■^^c  ihscov- 
creil  ;U  I'liinui. 


nation  and 
iniazL'd  ,it 
)stack's  t(i 

I'asco,  so 
itioiis,  tin- 
c  tliiiiLj  is 

K-tals  had 

vi\  ill  thr 
in  cn()u_L;li 
and  \-as(.'s, 

(tl-  \();) 
U'ir  jcwrl- 

vrn  niorr 

t'    li/ards. 

■}■->,  biids 
i\  ith  their 
K'a\(.'s  ; 
■f,  nthrrs 
(h'd  nut 
iptin;,;'  tn 
ips.  \\V 
uvj;    in    a 

al)c  lut  t(i 
"he  lattri-, 
orty-m'iK,' 
1    ilhistra- 

hr  IVni- 
thc  didy 
cd  pieces 
(h  latter 
n   t<i   the 

mixture 

>     lUodel- 

DJatilizetl 
)ld  alDiie 


was  left,  and  simple  polishing  was  enough  to  obtain  the  de- 
sired result.  Cie^i  de  Leon  '  relates  that  the  working  of 
metals  was  a  speciality  of  the  men  of  Chinui,  and  adds  that 
after  the  submission  of  the  country  the  Inca  Yupanqui  car- 
ried off  to  Cuzco  the  best  workmen  of  the  town. 

We  must  also  refer  to  several  little  round  pieces  of  gold, 
silver,  or  copper,  pierced  with  a  hole,  and  bearing  on  one 
side  a  rougli  impression  cither  of  a  man  or  an  animal.  Were 
those  used  as  money?  There  is  nothing  to  justify  us 
in  supposing  that  these  nun  had  in\entetl  a  system  of  ex- 
change, unless  for  their  simiile  wants;  and  it  is  more 
probable   that   these   were   ornaments  resembling  those    of 


I 


Fig.    ii/). — Silver  serpent. 

gold,    sih'er,    earthenware,    stune,    and    glass    found    under 
the  huaeas  (fig.  \')~). 

Iron  ap[)ears  to  have  been  unknown  to  the  Peruvians  as  to 
the  other  inhabitants  of  America.  It  was  replaced  by  bronze, 
or  copper,  and  a  consitlerable  number  of  weapons,  tools,  im- 
])lements,  ami  ornaments,  made  of  one  orotlier  of  these  metals, 
ha\e  been  picked  up.  The  copper  \\ .is  mixed  with  fioni  five 
to  ten  per  cent,  of  siK'er."  This  may  have  been  an  alloy,  or 
more  probably  a  natural  product  of  the  mine.  Some  writers 
ha\  e   pretended    that   the    Peruvians  were  acquainted  with 

'  Cieca  rlc  Leon,  one  of  the  companions  of  I 'i^ario,  remained  fi-r  seventeen 
yeais  in  roru.  His  history  "  I'rimera  parte  de  la  chronica  del  Peru,"  was 
priiiied  at  Seville  in  1553  and  at  Antwerp  in.  1554. 

'•"  We  have  mentioned  this  same  fact  with  rejjard  to  the  copper  extracted 
by  the  Mound  Huilders  from  the  mines  of  Lake  Superior. 


1 


1   ■.]    ';    il 


'■  ■  1 


';i  ■■ 


YX 


! 


'1 

\  f  I 


i 


7   .  Ill 


'f 


1^. 


452 


PAV:-///STOA'/r  .IMFA'/C.l. 


h 


'''  n 


■I! 


31 


i'' 


'I  ' 


iiC 


;i  mode  of  liardcniiv^'  which  addod  to  tht-  power  of  resist- 
ance of  copper.  None  ot  the  oljjects  thus  far  iliscovered 
iustif)'  this  assertion.  i\t  the  Madriil  exliibition  was  to 
be  seen  a  bron/e  statuette  ratlier  more  than  six  inches  liii,di, 
representing;'  a  man  witli  liis  le_L;s  crossed,  seatetl  on  a 
tortoise,  and  his  arms  restin;^'  on  a  t.iljlet,  on  which,  is  traced 
an  iiiscri{)tion.  This  statuette  was  taken  from  a  huaca 
at  the  foot  of  the  .Andes. 


^^^ y^m^ ^^^^Z^r- 


■ECS 


^ 


lie.    197. — Beads  of  i,'o!il,  silver,  cirlin'iiwarc,  slonc,  aiul  tjlass. 

Tile  spaile  and  chisel  used  b)-  tiie  anc!<*fit  Peruvians  were 
f)f  the  form  still  retained  in  tlie  coimtry.  The  celts  re- 
sembled the  stone  ones  of  I'.urope  ;  the  knives,  those  still  in 
use  amouL^st  I'rvnch  -..uldlers.  Sometimes  tlu  to,. is  were 
more  clumsy:  Darwin  speaks  of  haviii''-  seen  rouuh  stones, 
pierced  itli  a  hole  to  receive  a  hand'c,  used  b)-  the  in- 
habitants of  Chili  to  till,  or  rather  to  .scr.itch,  the  -jround. 

The  weapons  found  are  generally  of  the   must  wretched 


1  * 


V       ^s 


■\ 


I 


PERU. 


453 


description,  and  include  lance-points,'  javelins,  arrows, 
and  bronze  tomahawks.  Near  the  mines  of  Pasco  especially 
have  been  picked  up  hatchets  and  arrow-points  of  flint, 
obsidian,  diorite,  and  basalt,  and  stone  mortars  rcsemblin'^ 
those  of  California. 

The  Trocadero  museum  contains  several  stone  batons, 
which  have  been  supposed  to  be  insignia  of  rank,"  presenting 
a  curious  relationship  with  those  objects,  alleged  to  be 
of  that  character,  of  neolithic  times  in  Europe.  It  is  prob- 
able, however,  that  none  of  these  objects  had  any  such  pur- 
pose. The  i(.lea  of  "  rank "  can  hardl)-  have  developed 
among  neolithic  men  any  more  than  among  the  present 
Eskimo.  Objects  obtained  from  the  Eskimo  of  Nunivak 
Island  by  Dall,  in  1S74,  exactly  resemble  some  of  the 
so-called  batons  of  neolithic  man,  and  were  handles  for  skin 
scrapers,  or  snuff  pestles.  We  gi\e  a  drawing  of  a  rod  (fig. 
198)  of  interesting  workmanshii),-'  with  seven  birds  sculptured 
along  it,  that  appear  to  be  climbing  toward  the  top,  which  is 
crowned  b\-  two  birds  said  to  be  pelicans.  Wc  may  also 
mention,  as  a  3i)ecimen  of  wood-work,  a  seat  upheld  by  two 
pumas,  found  at  Cuzco  (fig.  1991,  and  some  four-legged 
stools  cut  in  a  single  [)iece  of  wood.  These  stools  figured  at 
the  Madritl  exhibition  ;  they  resemble  in  shape  the  seats 
represented  in  Mexican  pictographs.  Wood  was  also  used 
to  make  many  ol)jects  in  daily  use.  l-'or  instance,  several 
ex.imples  of  tastefully  carved  combs  (,fig.  200)  are  Known. 
Such  combs  were  nearly  always  placed  in  the  huacas,  near 
the  dead. 

To  conclude  our  summary  of  all  relating  to  the  Peruvians, 
we  must  describe  the  Pintados  ;  such  is  the  name  given  to 
the  engravings  and  sculptures  met  with  upon  the  granite  rocks 
of  the  chain  of  the  Andes.*     These  represent  men,  some  of 

'  S([uier  has  in  his  collection  a  lance-point  twenty  inches  long. 

"  It  is  remarkal)le  that  the  insignia  of  rank  have  invariably  developed  from  an 
ordinary  stick  or  club.  Such  was  the  origin  of  the  sceptre  of  the  kings, 
the  crozicr  of  the  bisliop,  and  the  baton  of  the  marshal  of  I'rance. 

^  A'atiire,  loth  June,  18S2. 

*  Bollacrl .  /,  c. ,  n.  157.      "  Trans.  Kthn.  Soc.  "f  Lcmdiiii,"   1S57. 


1 

i 

% 

.1 

1 

''1 

'1 

^:! 


I 


y  :   I 


(  I 

>  I 


'i 


li 

1,1 


1^ 


.f^t! 


W 


m-^ 


454 


/'A'/:-///S  ■/•(  »A'/(  ■  .  /  .]//•  A'/(  -.I. 


U" 


V    ■  ^• 


'     )      t 

:  I . 


■u 


>'M  \ 


i'> 


(■!■ 


which  arc  thirty  feet  hiL,^h.  animals,  chiefly  ddos  and  llama-, 
plants  and  inanimate  objects.     One  block  of  i;ranitc  twelve 


l.^:wirsl»&i'«''il)!5^' 


■ir..   KjS  — Ciirved  rod  from  IViu. 


Fig.  iqt).— Se.nt  ul  mat,'in.y  wood  found  at  Cuzco. 

feet  s.iuarc  near  M.uaya.  knuun   by  the  name   of  la  Piedra 
'id  Leon.  ,s  loaded  with  very  ancient  sculptures.     The  most 


1 


llainas, 

tVVclvi: 


PKRC 


45! 


important  group  represents  a  struffjrlc  between  a  man  and  a 
puma.'  On  another  n.ck  it  is  easy  to  make  out  a  puma. 
Near  the  Httle  town  of  Nepeil,  a  colossal  serpent  is  to  be 
seen  ;  at  Caklera,  a  short  distance  from  Are(iuii)a,  trees  and 


llowers.     i\t  tile  Pintados  de  las  1 


Ka\-as,  near  Xoria,  it  is  no 
lon-er  animate  tjhjects,  but  geometrical  figures,  such  as  cir- 
cles  or  parallelograms,  that  are  met  with.  In  the  province  of 
Tarap.ica,  consiilerablc  surfaces  arc  covered,  not  only  with 
figures  of  men  and  animals,  most  of  them  of  remarkable  exe- 


cu 


tion  (fi 


20 1),  but  also 


w  ith  characters,  which  ap- 
[)earlo  lie  writlrii  vertical- 
ly. The  lines  are  from 
twelve  to  eighteen  feet 
high,  and  each  cliaracte'- 
is  sex'eral  inches  in  depth. 


X 


ear 


Una 


ra 


lialt-eltaced 


inscrijjlions  are  reporteil. 
and  between  Mentlo/.a  and 
L.i  J'unta,  Chili,  is  a  large 
pillar,  on  which  are  m.uks 
su])])osed  to  be  letters. 
Their  indefniite  character 
ma)'  be  judged  from  the 
fact  that  the\-  have  been 
said  to  present  some  resem- 
blance with  Chinese  char- 
acters."   I'-\-er\'  thing  relatiiu 


JUO. 


-rcruviiiii  loiiil), 

to  these  so-called  inscriptions  is 
\-er\-  \-ague.  \-er\-  uncertain,  and  does  not  justify'  a'i\'  conclu- 
sion. 

I  am  disposed  to  attach  more  importance  to  the  discov- 
eries of  Professor  Liber  mi,  in  the  .Santa  Maria  valle)-. 
Pro\ince  of  Catamarc.i,  in  the  Argentine  Republic."  lie  tie- 
scribes  figures  of  animate  objects  accompanied  by  reproduc- 
tions of  inanimate   objects,  geometrical   figures,  and  lines  of 


'  lioUaurl,  /.  (■.,  |).  102. 
'  liolhicrl,  /.  <.,  |i.  21S. 
■'' .Vmetjhino  :    "  La  .\ntii;ii.i(loil  ilcl    Ilomlire,"  vul 


!'■  94. 


,i 


I 


1* 


n 


!!■: 


\  ■  ,  'i 


'f\ 


¥    ■  <1 


i    J 


(ii  -la    I 


i 


rfTft'' 


fM  III 


!■   < 


'^li^ 


1 

4} 


\^i 


456 


PKJ:-I//srOK/C  .IM/.KICA. 


'  I  i 


dots  differently  combined.      Tlie  same  signs  arc  met  witli. 
and  this   is  a  fact  worthy  of  attention,  constantly  repeated 
and  alwavs  in  a  similar  ordiT.     7\meL;hino  considers  thi'se 
inscriptions  to  inilic.ik'  a  complete  system   of   writinL;.  made 
up  partly  of   fiL^nircs   and    s\-mbolic.il    characters,   partly  of 
jimvly  phonetic  characters;  and  he  is  even    di>posed  to  ad- 
mit that  these  are  the  rem.uns   of  ancient   Teruvian  writings 
which  has  been   perpetuated   far  from    the   district  where  it 
first  came  into  existence.     Accordini,'  to   Montesinos,''  this 
writini,^  was  proscribed  by  Pachacuti  HI.,  one  of  the  fabulous 
predecessors  of  the  historic   Incas;  he  even  had  an  auuxuta 
burned  for  h.ivinL;  tlared  to  infrin^'e  his  orders.' 


Ftc.  201. — Peruvian  jMctogr.!])!].     I'rovinci'  of  Taiapaca. 

It  is  certain,  that  in  the  sixteenth  century  the  Peruvians 
were  acquainted  with  no  system  of  writing,  either  hiero- 
<gl)phicor  phonetic,  and  with  no  mode  of  numeration.  It  is  in 
the  hit,diest  dcL^ree  incredible  that  a  system  of  writing;  shoukl 
have  been  so   utterly  lost   if    it  had   ever  existed.     l''or  the 


'  "  Mem.  hist,  sur  rancicn  I'crou,"  coll.  '1  crnaiix-Coiupans,  Paris,  1S49. 

'"  Uno  tic  los  rcyes  del  Peru  pmliiliio  en  ffcclo  su  \iso  l)ajo  las  pciias  mas 
severas,  y  uiio  de  sus  subditos  que  alyuiios  afios  mas  lardc  sc  propuso  invciuai 
\in  mievo  sislema  de  escritura  fii  quemado  vivo."  Ameghiiui  /.  c;  con- 
sult the  same  author's  "  Inscripciones  ante  coloml)ianas  encoiurauas  en  la  Uc- 
publica  Argentina,"    S'.     Brussels,  1880. 


I 


p. 


/'A  AT 


met  wit  It. 

•^•'■S     tllfSC 

",!^^  made 

'.ll-tly    of 
(1    t..   ,ul- 

\\ritiii,L[. 

wIlCTf    it 
i"s,"'  this 

r.ii)iii()us 


M'livians 

■  liicro- 

It  is  in 

sliouid 

''or  the 

S49. 

LiKis  inas 
i  11  veil  tar 
c;  foii- 
II  la  Re- 


457 

ordinary  purposes  of  life  they  used  .///?>.?  (fi-r.  203),  or  striut^rs 
of  viiryinf,^  1  'i-th.  on  which  were  knotted  a  certain  nunil)cr 
(.f  threads.  The  color  of  the  threads  and  the  number  and 
distance  from  each  otlier  of  the  knots  had  a  sinnificance 
sometimes  historic  and  sometimes  inathenuitical.'  (}ar- 
cilasso  tell  us  that  the  (|uipos,  which  related  to  the  history 
of  the  Incas,  were  carefully  preserved  by  an  officer  called 
Oitipo  Caiiiayol,  literally  tlie  .guardian  of  the  quipos.  The 
greater   number  were  destroyed  as  monuments  of  idolatry 


Fig.  202. — Fragment  of  a  quipo. 

by  some  fanatical  friars,  but  their  loss  is  not  important  to 
history,  as  neither  tradition  nor  study  enable  us  to  interpret 
those  still  remainiiiL;'.  The  Indians,  however,  long  preserved, 
and  perhaps  still  retain,  this  system  of  secret  correspondence. 

'  Before  the  accession  of  the  Emperor  Fo-Fli  (3,300  B.  C).  it  is  said  that  the 
Chinese  were  not  acciuaintcd  witii  writing  and  also  used  (juipos.  In  the 
writings  of  Confucius  we  fiml  a  passage  whicli  bears  on  tliis  point.  "  The  men 
of  antiquity,"  he  says,  "  used  knotted  cords  to  convey  their  orders  ;  those  who 
succeeded  them  substituted  signs  or  figures  for  these  cords."  Jaffray  ;  Nature, 
1876,  vol.  II.,  p.  405. 


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Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  f'.^EET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  873-4503 


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1  { 


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A  j^rcat  revolt  a!::;ainst  the  Spaniards  was  organized  in  1792. 
As  was  found  out  later  the  revolt  hatl  been  or^^ani/ed  i)y 
means  of  niesseni^ers.  carryin;^  a  ])iece  of  wooil  in  wiiich 
were  encloseil  threads,  the  ends  of  which  formed  red,  bl.nk. 
hliK-.  <ir  while  frinijes.  The  black  threail  had  four  knot-^. 
which  sii^nitu-d  that  tin-  messenger  had  started  from  X'.il- 
duiM.  till' residence  of  the  chief  of  tlii'  conspirac}",  four  days 
afti-r  full  moon.  The  white  thread  had  ten  knots,  wiiicli 
sii^nified  that  the  re\dlt  would  bre.ik  out  ti'ii  da\'s  after  tlu' 
arriv.d  of  the  messeni;er.  'I'he  jjersou  to  whom  the  keejur 
was  sent  had  in  hi^  turn  to  make  .1  knot  in  tin-  red  tlurad 
if  hr  a;_;ri.id  to  joiu  tlir  confcder.ites  ;  in  tiie  red  ,md  blue 
threaiU,  on  thr  coMtr.ny,  if  he  nfused.  It  was  by  means  of 
thesr  qui])o>  thai  liv.-  inca-  lran>mittecl  their  instructions: 
on  all  the  roail-;  >{artii';4  I'roin  the  cajiital,  at  distances  rarel\- 
excieiliiiL;  fur  milrs,  ro-^L-  land)o-,,  or  stations  for  the  <////.nv////.v 
or  courii  r^  who  wr:;t  lro;)i  our  po^t  to  another.  Tiu'  orders 
oftlu  inci  thii-  l)i.c,  in  •  ili>S(.niin.ite(l  with  L;re.it  rapidit)'; 
tliosc  which  rmanatrd  directh  from  him  wire  marki'd  with 
aredthri.ul  o|  thr  r<iy.d  ll.mtii.  and  nothing;,  .is  historians 
as-urr  Us,  could  i(iu.il  the  respect  with  which  these  messages 
Wrrr  ren  ixtd.' 

This  \rr\-  iin])erfect  modi'  of  communication  pri'-euted 
111. in)  otlur  i.,,iw  b.icks.  wluii  the  preserv.it  ion  of  histoiic 
facts  ,111(1  tin  ir  traiisinissidn  in  postrritx'  w.is  in  (pustioii. 
1-roiM  thi-.  i)oiiil  ot  \irw,  it  w.is  certainlx  \riy  infrrior  to  the 
pielo-r.ipli-.  ,,|  tin  Mixir.nis.  to  the  hieroi^jyphic  system  rm- 
ployrd  ill  \'iical,in  .md  Chiapas,  ami  vwu  to  the  clumsy 
ripresriitatioiis  cf  th.  Ndrth  Americans;  it  offers  a  stiMUj^t' 
contrast  with  the  ])roL;res^  in  m.m\-  directions  charactcri/iuL;- 
tlu-  IVruvi.ms. 

W  e  cannot  concludt-  our  account   of   Peru    without    ai^ain 

laviiiL,'  stress  on  tlu'  adniir.itioi;  with  wliicli  the  histori.m  ,ind 

philoso|)her   are    inspired    in    stmlyino    .m    orL;ani/ation    so 

'  strani^i-  and  .1  culture  so  .idv.mceil  as  that  of  tin-  popul.ition 

who  br.ixed  the  severe  climate  of  the  .\mles  ami  the  burning 

I'rcbcoU;  "  llislury  of  the  I'oinmca  of  I'cru,"  \).  29. 


..^aiiifei 


Iti 


PEh'V 


459 


in  \-jf)2. 
izcd  In- 

.  N.uk, 

Ii;ii()ts, 

m   \-al. 

Ill-  (l.iys 
Wilic  h 
trr  till' 
k'tc'in  r 
tlncid 
I   hluf 

I. Ills  of 

I'liDiis ; 

s  raicl)- 

orders 

I'idity: 
•d  with 
toriaiis 


sun  of  the  Pacific  coast.  \Vc  shall  recur  a<;ain  to  the  ux'v^xw 
ol  this  civilization,  but,  before  touchiiv^r  tliat  question,  ue 
must  complete  our  work  by  studv'inL;  the  other  peoples  of 
South  America. 

0\\  the  loft)'  table-lands  which  form  the  chain  of  the 
Andes,  ill  N.  Lat.  4  ,  at  an  elevation  of  nearly  ten  thousand 
feet,  lived  the  Chibcha.^.'  This  was  a  stroiij^  and  courajjcous, 
ajfricultural  and  industrious  race,  individual  in  character,  and 
possessinj,^  an  oriL;iiial  culture.  Isolated  i"«  the  narrow  area 
wiiich  ftirmed  their  couiUr\-,  the)'  knew  how  to  maintain 
their  independence  again>t  their  more  p  nverful  native 
neii;hbois,  who  resembled  tluin  in  manners,  customs,  arts, 
and  worsliij).  .\fter  the  .Spani-h  conquest,  however,  the  Chil> 
cha  countr)-,  which  consisted  only  of  a  territory  fortx-five 
leaj^ues  loni;  1)\'  twehe  to  fifteen  wide,  became  the  province 
of  Cuiulinam.irca,  aiul  was  included  in  the  vicenu'.ilty  of 
.New  (ireiiada.  Since  1S61,  the  st.iti'  of  t'undinamarca  has 
formed  p,;;"t  of  tlie  confeder.aion  wliicli  has  taken  the  name 
of  the  I'lnhd  States  of  Colotiibia. 

Less  ailv.inced  ])erhaps,  than  tlu'  A/lecs  or  the  I'eruv  i.uis, 
the  Chibchas  u  ere  \'i't  ai)le  to  lay  out  ami  pave  roads,  to 
span  their  water-courses  with  l)rii!L;es,  to  build  temples 
witii  columns  to  their  L;ods,  to  car\e  st.ilues,  to  enL;rave 
il^urcs  on  stoui.to  \\e.i\e  and  dye  cotton  and  wool,  to  atlorn 
their  woxen  li<>ues  with  \arieil  patterns,  and  to  work  in 
wood,  stone,  ami  the  met, lis.  Their  pottery  resembled  that 
of  otiu'r  people  of  .\meiica ;  lluir  ve-^-^els  .ue  general!)- 
formed  of  tlirei'  super-jiosed  Ia_\  ers ;  the  ceiltr.il  la\er  is 
bl.ick,  whilst  the  intern.d  and  I'Xlernal  ones  are  of  liner 
earth  ami   li-litrr   color.      The   ornaments   of   the  ("hibchas 

'  i'pilr:\liiM  :  '•  Ili>t.  fjcn.  <lc  la  cimiuist.i  del  Nucvo  Kcyno  ile  ( Ir.inad.i," 
M.-iihrl,  l(p>S.  lliiiiilMilill  :  "  \«>yagcau.\  icjjions  o[iiiiH>eli.ilLN"  L'tc,  .iiul  "  Vucs 
lies  (Oiailk'ii-.."  J.  Aiosta  :  "  Coiupenilio  \\\^\.  'Icl  iio-m!iiimieiiIo  >■  cnlonisa- 
.i..n  de  1.1  Nik'v.i  Ciaiiada,"  rari>,  1848-  Holln^Tt  :  "  Ant.  Kilin.  and  other 
KfsiMnlifs  ill  New  Cian.ida,"  Loii.ton,  1860.  UiicocliaM  :  "  Nfem.  Mibre  l.is 
ainit;iU'dados  Nco-Craiiadina-,"  lierlin,  n.  d.  Xatiire,  iS;;,  vol.  I.,  p.  35<). 
'•  I>.)i;ra|iliia  fiMCi  y  polilii-a  dc  1;)-;  INtados  I'nid.is  <le  Colnmliia,"  I!oi,'"la,  2 
v..l>.,  I'^ds-.T.  Dr.  latTray:  "  \'>y.ii,'t'  .1  lii  Nouvellc  Grcii.idf,"  "  l.a  Tour 
dii  Monde."  vol.  X\l\  .,  XXV..  XXVI. 


I  . 


\ 


;1 


I  . 


1 


If!    I 


■t, 


i' 


460 


rRr.///sTOh-ir  .i.vfa'/c. i. 


-) 


it 


i 


vl 


\V(.'rc  collars  made  nf  sliclls  \\iii(.-li  came  Irom  the  coasts 
of  the  I'acific,  iiKHc  tlian  two  luiiulivci  leagues  off;  i;oK|. 
stone,  and  silver  pendants,  pearls,  .nul  emeralds.  'I'lu  ir 
wealth  was  considerable,  and  chroniclers  relate,  that  in  tlic 
first  few  months  succeeilin;4  the  concpiest  thi- concpiistadoii  s 
collected  spoil  of  w  iiich  the  value  I'Nceeded  tliirt>-  million 
francs.'  If  these  fiL,nires  are  not  exat^gcrated  the\'  are  re.ill\' 
enormous  for  the  time  and  country. 

We  know  wry  little  about  this  people,  who  are  looked 
up<in  as  one  of  the  authors  of  the  ancient  ci\ilization  of 
South  America.  Their  \ery  I.iiii^uai^e  has  di.sappearetl,"  and 
the  name  by  which  we  know  them  d.ites  from  the  time 
of  the  Spaniards. °  who  horrowrd  it  from  Chihch.icliimi,  om.- 
of  the  chief  gods  of  the  country,  thi'  protector  of  a_L;ricultur- 
alists  and  j^olilsniiths.  The  traditions  ri'lating'  to  the 
Chibclias  are  of  little  im[)ortance.  Accordin;^  to  C'hibclia 
kL;end  the  moon  was  the  wife  of  l?ochica,  who  personified 
the  sun  ;  she  did  as  much  h.uni  to  men  as  he  diil  i^ood, 
and  Bochica.  irritateil  .iL;ain--t  lur,  contUinned  lur  to  ^ive 
lii;ht  to  the  earth  or.ly  durini;  the  night.'  They  cdh-d  tlun)- 
selxes  aborigines,  born  before  the  moon  was  created,  on  the 
tableland  where  Santa  k"e  de  Hogot.i  now  rises.  They  wan- 
dered about  naked,  witliout  l.ius  and  without  culture,  until 
a  stranger,  l^ochica,  c.uui'  from  distant  regions  and  taught 
them  the  art  of  clothing  them>elvi's,  building  liouses,  and  li\-- 
ing  in  siciety.  The  legends  relating  to  Hochica  present  a 
curious  analogy  with  tliose  about  Ouetzacoatl  or  Manco- 
Capac,  and.by  one  of  tliosc  coincidences  of  which  ithnology 
affortls  so  man>-  e\am])le-,  the  mythical  civilizer  of  Colom- 
bia had  something  in  common  alike  with  the  reformer  of 
liuildhism  and  the  first  Inca  of   Peru. 

'.\c<)^t,n,  /.  (-.,  jip,  123  anil  126. 

'  111  1S71  UrituchuM  puhli.lica  a  Clubclia  y;r;uuniar.  I'lii.-,  laiit,'uai;c,  he  tells 
us,  can  only  he  studied  unw  throuj^h  tw..  other-,  which  are  inobably  only 
dialertsof  it,  that  of  the  'I'urievo-,,  a  people  who  lived  north  of  l!ii(,'ota,  and 
that  of  the  lloc.is,  who  livicl  near  the  eelehraied  eniorald  mines  of  Muz<i. 

'The  Cliihchas  arc  siippo>ed  to  have  called  llieniselve,  Muyscas,  a  w.onl 
signifyini;  nnii  in  their  Iani;uage. 

'  l)e>jardin>  :   "  l.e  IVrou  avanl  la  concnale  1  N|iai;n(ile,"  p]..  14  and  lo2. 


"^ 


-•r.   S»(„-,' 


\.b 


^    toasts 

:  Tl.ur 
It  ill  till' 
isl.idoii  s 
■'  millidii 
I  re  rc.illy 

itioii  (if 
t-'ii."  ami 
■  hv  tiiiir 
liiiii,  OIK' 
:i'it'iiltur- 
t.)  tlU' 
C'liibcha 
I'snniTK'd 
id   ,L,n)()d. 

to    MlVC 

I'd  tluni- 

■    oil    tllL' 

U'\-  wan- 
iiL',  until 
I  tau-lit 
,  and  liv- 
I'l'scnt  a 

Malleo- 
li IK  )lon-y 

("oloin- 
nncr  of 


'■:,  lie  tells 
ably  only 
ijota,  and 

Z(l. 

•,  a  wortl 
102. 


ri:RU. 


461 


w 


Besides  their  own  particular  sods,  such  asChibchachimi  or 
Nchimiuitiba.  the  Chibchas  also  adorcil  liic  sun  and  the 
niooii  ;  they  offered  human  victims  to  the  sun,  but  only  on 
rare  occasions.  One  of  these  occasions  was  the  conimence- 
nieiit  of  each  cycle  of  fiftiin  years,  wiiich  formed  the  basis 
of  their  astronomical  calculations;  and  with  a  cruelty  but 
little  in  accordance  with  their  habitual  m.umers,  the  victim 
w.is  olten  chosen  several  \ears  beforeliaiul,  and  prepared 
by  a  Ioul;  initiation  for  tin-  death  which  awaited  him.  The 
loft\-  suniniits  of  the  mountains,  the  water-courses,  and 
the  lakes  wvw  dedicated  to  their  divinities.  .\mon14  the 
lakes,  tiiat  of  (Juataxila  was  tlu'  most  venerated,  and  it  is 
related  that  at  the  time  of  tin-  coiiipie^t  tlu'  inhabitants 
flunj^f  into  its  wate.s  all  their  treasures  that  tlie\'  niiL;ht 
not  become  the  pre\-  of  the  coiuiueror.  the  report  of  whose 
avarice  had  alre.uly  it-aclud  the  Chibch.is.  This  leL^end. 
which  does  not  .ij^ree  .it  all  with  the  account  of  tlu;  imiiuiise 
sums  ilrawil  b_\-  the  .Sj)am'-li  from  Xew  (ireiiada,  has  shown 
;^fre,it  vitality.  At  \arious  times  the  tapadas  have  eii- 
eii(lea\oicd  to  ii'coxrr  tlusr  riches  but  the  results  have 
by  no  nuaiis  corres|)(inded  with  the  Jioju-s  of  the  explorers; 
in  1  s*"!-',  one  alligator,  two  monkeys,  and  thirteen  froj^s 
of  i^old  were  taken  from  the  watir;  but  more  recent 
attiiiipls  have  yielded  liiit  a  lew  statuettes  nf  no  value. 

Moi  far  fr<im  Tunja,  in  the  state  of  Hoyaca.  thirteen  col- 
umns, four  or  live  }  anls  lii_L;li,  still  stand  ;  a  little  farther  off, 
near  some  exteusixe  ruins,  rist;  nineteen  shorter  columns' ; 
numerous  carvi'd  stoius  co\  i-red  with  ornaments  are  scat- 
tered all  o\er  the  coast  for  a  distance  of  more  tli.in  twi> 
miles.  It  is  su|)poM(l  thai  this  was  the  town  of  Soi^oniuxi, 
and  the  teini)le,  of  which  the  columns  are  relics,  would  be 
that  of  NebiiKpiiliba,  which  was  destroyeil  by  (Uiesada. 

AltliouL;li  bcloiv^ini;-  to  one  race,  the  Chibch.is  do  not 
appi-ar  to  have  formed  a  n.itional  bod\-.     .Some  obeyed  a 

'"  I'lull.  SiK.  Ct'ot;.,"  1S.17.  'rr.ivelU  r-difTur  as  to  the  number  of  columns  still 
sianiiinj;.  Sec  jalTiay:  "  Viaji.'  a  luieva  (iraiiaila."  Anieghino  :  "La  An- 
tifjucilad  del  llaniiire,"  vol.  I.,  \i.  iot. 


[  \ 


\ 


t 


I 


i 


TT 


t^'l   I 


46: 


/'A7..///.V  /•()A7(  •    .I.U/:A'/C.I. 


i 

I'-  i 


''|i' 


:■  'C 


51 


I 


I 


)  t 


cliicf  callctl  Zi/'/^ti,  wilt)  comin.iiulcil  at  Hot^ota ;  tlic  ilucf 
of  the  dtlicr  faction  linrc  tin-  title  i>f  /.oquc,  and  li\ril  at 
11  ansa,  the  Tunja  of  to-tla_\-.  The  autliorit}-  of  these  ehiifs 
wa>  as  ilespotic  as  that  of  the  liuas.  ami  no  onedaieil  tct 
oppose  tileir  will.  Tlu'  Zi])pa  eoulil  onl\-  ha\e  one  leL;ili- 
m.ite  wife,  hut  was  allowed  any  numhiT  of  coiicuhiius 
[  / /i i^it y<s).  -None  of  his  sons  inherit!  d  the  paternal  power; 
but,  ill  accordance  with  a  cu~.tom  which  still  prexails  in  tlu 
heart  of  Africa,  it  w.is  tran-mitted  to  the  eldest  son  of  the 
sister. 

As  soon  as  the  /ippa  was  ilead,  his  \iscera  were  taken  out 
and   replaced  1)\-  >w  eet->niellin''    resin;   the  l)oil\'  was  then 
placed  in  a  coftiii  of  palm-wood,  orn-inientiil   insiile  and  out 
with  >lK'ets  of  i;old.      'l'hi>  colVni  wa->  placed  in  .1  sepulchre, 
the  situation  (if  which  wa>  secret  ;   ,uid  this  secret   h.is  been 
.so  well   kept   th,U   to  thi-^  d.iy  the  tonib-,  so  e.i_L;erl)-  soUL;hl 
after.  h>i\  e    ne\er   belli   (lisco\rred.     Such    is   the   account. 
beariuLj  the  impre>:^  of   their  h.ibiiu.d   e\aL;L;er,ition,  which 
we  borrow  from  the  Spani>h  w  riler^^.      It  is  prol).d)le  th.it  the 
cue  >ilii,ited   not    f.ir  from  lVo;4ot,i,  .md   which    h.is   yielded 
;-uch  an  .miple  h,irve>t  of   jeweU  of   t;old  .md   siUer.  or  per- 
il.ip>  til. It   near  Tunja,  where   rows   uf   uuminiies  clothed   in 
rich  i;,irments  were  to  be   sreii.  w,i->   re,ill\-   the    sp.  it    iK'di- 
c.ited  to  ihr  l)uri,il  of  the  Zipp.is  ,ind  the  /oipu>.     With  the 
chiefs  were  interred  llvir  wi..ip()n-^,  their  i\irnunts,  the  IhsIl;- 
ni.i  of  their  r.ink,  .uid  even  tho-.e  cf  iluir  f.udrite  concubines. 
In  all  the  tombs,  without  exception,  we  luid  the  objects  that 
had  been  ustil  in  dail\-  life,  the  professional  inipIiMiients,  and 
jars  idled  with  chich.i.     h'or  these  men,  as  for  the  ;j;reater 
number   of    the   native   ])eople   of   Americi,   the    life   which 
bei;an  after  death  w.is  to  be  a  continuation  of   th.it    lived 
upon  earth. 

The  laws  of  the  Cdubchas  were  no  less  .severe  tiian  those 
of  the  A/tecs  or  the  Peruvians,  Violation  aiul  Iioiiiicide 
were  i)unished  with  diatli  ;  the  thief  inciinul  the  i)eii.dt\'  «■! 
the  whip.  .Sometimes  the  pen, ikies  inilicted  were  more 
uri^dnul ;  he  who  slK)weil  cowardice  in  war  was  dressed  like 


tl 


lived  at 
*-'>*■•  (.'Iiirfs 
•l.iivd  to 
>ilc  K-iti- 
'iK-ii!)iins 
•  ll  power; 
ils  in  tin 
.11   of  the 

.iI<L'ii  out 
w.is  then 
■  and  out 
iindchiT, 
li.is  hrcii 
I\-  sou- lit 

.IfCOlMlt. 
"1.    Wllieh 

tll.lt   the 
^^   \-irl(K'd 
r,  <'|-   prr- 
iothrd    in 
•  ■>t    dr<ii- 
U'iththc 
111-  iiisiL,^- 
unljiiics. 
L'Cts  that 
-■nts,  and 
'  i^rt-attT 
I'  wliiidi 
at    li\ri! 

in  tliosc 
"Uiicide 
nalty  d 

C      lllOM' 

>cd  like 


PEKU. 


4^>3 


a  woman,  and  made  to  do  female  work.  The  woinaii  ,ir- 
cused  of  ailidtery  liad  to  swallow  a  certain  (|uantit\-  of  nd 
pepper;  if  she  confessed  her  fault,  she  was  pitilessly  put  to 
death;  but  if  she  could  stand  the  ordeal,  her  hubband  had 
to  make  public  apoloj^ies  to  her. 

These  men  had  no  cattle  of  any  kind  ;  thcj'do  not  appt-ar 
even  to  ha\e  known  how  to  make  use  of  llamas.  Their  footl 
consistetl  of  lioiuy.  which  was  very  abundant  on  the  slopes 
of  the  mountains,  mai/e,  and  potatoes,  which  tiie>-  obtained 
1))-  cultivating,^  the  t-artli  with  wooden  iniphnunts.  and 
waterint^  it  frecpientl)'  b\-  means  of  irrii^atinj^f  canals.  Their 
lK):'>es  rose  in  the  mid-^t  of  circular  enclosures  urriiuids) 
often  defeiideil  b\- watch-towers.  They  were  built  (»f  wood 
and  cla_\- moistened  witii  water;  the  roof  w.is  conical,  and 
coveri'd  with  reed  in. its.  The  openiniis  were  cKjsetl  with 
interlaced  rushes. 

Primitive  as  their  buildiiv^s  ;nid  tluir  mode  of  life  ai)pcar. 
the  C'liibchas  were  accpiainted  with  bronze,  copper,  tin.  K.id, 
l^old,  and  siKer,  but  not  with  iron.  They  wert' \erv  >kilful 
in  the  use  of  the  metals  just  enumerated,  and  the  ir  chitf  oc- 
cupation was  the  fabrication  of  _L;old  and  sil\  er  objects.  In 
the  .Saint  (iermain  Museum  lUa)'  be  seen  interestiiiL;'  s])eci- 
mens  of  C'hibcha  art  (fi;^.  -ojl-  M-  L'i'iciechea  has  a  still 
more  remarkable  collection,  anioiv^sl  the  contents  of  which 
we  mu<t  mention  two  'golden  masks  of  th<,"  luimaii  face. 
larL;i'r  than  life,  ;iiul  hundreds  of  little  statuettes  repre- 
seiilin^f  nu'ii,  iiionke\'s.  and  fi'o^^s.  The  last-named  ,u'e 
numeriuis  throu!^liout  New  (iran.ula,  from  which  we  may 
I^Mther  that  the  veneration  of  the  Mu)'scas  for  water-courses 
extended  to  the  batr.ichians  ])eoplinL;-  them. 

The  Chibchas  appear  to  ha\e  carried  on  an  extensive  trade 
in  the  various  objects  the\'  manufacturetl ;  the)-  also  ex- 
porteil  to  their  nei<4hbors  the  rock  salt  which  aboundetl  in 
their  territories,  ami  in  return  the\'  receixetl  the  cere.ils 
which  the  jjovert)-  of  their  soil  rendered  iiulispeiisable  to 
them.  The)-  are  said  to  iiave  ir. vented  a  coinage  to  facili- 
tate these  exchaii'a-s.  and  that  it  was  for  this  purpose  that 


■M 


[  t 

< 


11 


I    II 


■\ 


;  ■« 


if'- 


!•< 


i 


1  I' 


'I' 


^ 

(•I 

\ 

t 

1 

(;       ' 

. 

I      I 


I  I  < 


iii 


404 


/•A'A-///.s  /c'AVr  AMh/</L  ■  /. 


2u3. — Cliihcha  w'i.';i|hi'..s  aibl  jc 


(Saiiii  CicrTiKiiii   Museum.) 


M. 


uuiiUL-nts,  except   llK-  (.nhinins  .iirL-;ul\-  mcntionctl.  ;uv 


rave  ill   tlie  Chibclia  eouiUr\ .  .iiul 


we   e 


ail   eiuinierate   ihcm 


rauidl)-.      Astniie    is    nieiiliniieil,  pmh.ihh-  iiiteiidecl  for  sac- 
ritkcs.  and  upheld  1)\'  earwilides  :  a  si:uli)tured  jai^uar  at  the 


tm^^,^ 


f 


I 


J'EA'f 


46 


>5 


'IV  piol). 

stifles  us 


entrance  to  a  cave  near  Neyba.  and  further  on  some  i,'i;'antic 
llamas.  I  luniholdt  nuiiti<.ns.  at  tlu-  t  iitrance  ti)  tlu-  .Miiv.ca 
country,  between  2  '  and  4  N.  l.at.,  j^ranite  or  syenite  nicks, 
covered  with  colossal  ri_L,nires  of  crocodiles  and  ti-'crs. 
They  look  as  if  they  were  intended  to  defend  the  representa- 
tions of  the  sun  and  moon  accompanyini^  tliLin.  Anichino 
also  speaks'  of  hierot;l)phics  iii  New  (iranada,  and  jjirhaps 
we  must  also  attribute  to  the  Chibchas  two  columns  of  <;reat 
hei-^ht,  covered  with  sculjjture,  situated  at  the  junction  of 
the  Carare  and  Ma;^fdalena.  They  are  the  object  of  the  su- 
perstitious veneration  of  the  natives." 

ICver\-  day,  so  to  s|)eak.  brinL,^s  new  facts  which  adil  to  our 
knowledge.  We  must  not  omit  to  mention  the  curious 
picloj4ra])hs  recently  disco\ered  in  the  valleys  of  l)OL,'ota, 
Tun;^a,  and  Cauca,  which  appear  to  be  a  rou;^dily  outlint'd 
map  of  the  countr\-,  in  which,  however,  the  nearest  pueblos 
can  be  iiiadt-  out.' 

At  ever)'  turn  .South  .Xinerici  presents  vi'stij^es  of  a  van- 
ished race,  of  .1  culture  now  lost:  .md  we  are  always  com- 
pelled to  one  cniiclusioii  as  to  our  absolute  pow  eriessncss  to 
decide  on  the  orii;in  or  cause  of  the  decadence  of  these 
races,  now  represented  by  a  few  miserable  savai^es,  without 
a  past,  as  with<uit  .1  future. 

In  no  reL;ion  of  the  L;lol)e  ha-;  nature  been  more  prndii^al 
than  in  the  wist  districts  stretchiuL;-  from  (iui.uiato  UruLjuax', 
from  the  .\tl.intic  to  the  foremost  spursof  the  Ande-.  form- 
ini^the  emjjireof  i-ira/.il.  The  fertility  of  the  soil,  under  the 
double  inlluence  of  heat  and  moisture,  is  wonderful  :  forest 
trees  ^row  in  ure.it  variety  everywhere  ;  v.iluable  medical 
plants  spring  up  in  profusion  which  are  not  to  i)e  met 
with  in  an>-  other  climate;  and  \  cLjetables,  yood  for  food,  or 
fruits  pleas.mt  to  the  p. date  of  m.in,  with  flowers  of  the  most 
brilliant  colors.  iMfletii  thousand  ve;^^etable  species  peculiar 
to  lirazil  havi'  .dread\-  been  recoi;ni/ed.     A-assiz,  tellinij   of 

'"  V.n  NufV.!  Cianailo  \ix>    inscripcionfs  yemi^lilkas   >f  encuentran  a  cado 
paso."     "  I. a  .Vnt.  (Kl  Iloinbrc."  vol.  1.,  ]>.  ')2. 

■'Zaiiiora  :    "  ili-t.  dc  la  I'mv.  del  XiKvn  Kcino  cle  tiranatla." 

'  liastian  :   "  Zeitsclirift  der  Go^ellschafi  fin  Krakuinle,"  IJerlin,  1S78. 


II' 


I         »i 


'1 


:\ 


I 


■li] 

ill  * 

VJ 

i 

i 


I  / 


A 


I 

t 

;  \ 


K 


i 


tt 


I  'I 


»i 


406 


/■A7;-///.S7'('A7C  AM/  KhA. 


hi>  mrindrahli"  rxpcditioii  to  llu-  .\iim/<>m,  in  iS^i^  .md  i.sr)6, 
atkls :  "  All  cnipiic  muljIu  rsti-iin  ilsrlf  rich  in  .in\'  mu-  nf 
tliL-  sources  of  iiulustr)'  uliich  al)oi:iul  in  tliis  v.illc)-,  ami  \ct 
till-  i;ri'atfr  jiart  of  it  rots  011  tlu'  ^roiiiul.  and  l^ocs  to  form  a 
littlr  more  rivcr-imid.  or  tini^cs  tin-  uatrr  on  the  -chores 
of  which  tln"-r  in.milold  |irodiicts  die  ami  dccoiupoM-." ' 
ilu'  t'auna  i-  no  U-^s  rich  than  tlic  lloia  ;  xirijin  fiarsts, 
the  ina;^iiiriccncc  of  uhicii.  accortlin;^  to  tra\illfrs,  hal'lL.'s 
drscriptioii,  air  rilhii  witii  inonkry--  and  frliiir  aniiii.iU, 
tapirs,  peccaries,  and  i)irds  of  i)rini,inl  phini.ii;r.  I'lic 
.ihundamc  of  t'l-h  in  tiic  stream-'  and  rivers  is  no  less  re- 
markahle :  in  f.ict,  tlu'  Iha/ilian  ichthyolo;^)'  is  so  rich 
that,  in  his  e\i)loration  of  the  ,\ma/on.  .Xj^assi/.  wa.s  able 
to  cl.i<s  three  hundred  new  speciis.  {"he  jjirarucu  iS/u/is 
j;:i[i;'iis).  which  the  natives  take  with  the  lance  when  it 
couu's  to  the  surface  ot  the  water,  and  the  se,i-tiirtlc 
ali>ne.  would  sulVice  for  the  nouri.shnu  nt  of  .1  lar^e  t'lsli- 
catiiii;   i)ii])ulation.' 

The  l),nl>ari-m  (if  man  presents  a  stratv^e  contrast  with 
the  riches  of  nature.  Whilst  powerful  and  industrious  pi  o. 
ple,  with  re;^fular  L;o\ermnent.  laws,  and  towns,  llourished 
upon  the  s.inil}-  coasts  of  the  j'.icilic  .md  on  the  lofty  tahle- 
kinds  of  tile  Andes,  at  lieiL;hts  where  cold  and  hunger  were 
foiiuidahle  eiiemii  s.  the  rortU''iiese  found   in  the  fertili'  dis- 


'  "Ajouiiicy  ill  llr.i/.il."    llo^Um,  l>(jn,  p.  510. 

'I'riiKu  Max  lie  Ncuwiol  ;  "  RtM-c  nadi  ItrcNilien,"  3  vol.,  4  ,  1-iankfiirt- 
am-M.iin,  l-'jo.  A.  ,1c  St.  Ilil.iiie:  "  Voyas;iMlaii>  lo^  provinces  .Ic  Rio  <W 
J.mciro  et  du  Miiia>  (ifrac^,"  !■ .  1  icni.  :  "  I,e  Itixsil,  Univcrs  riUorcviUf," 
I'aris,  iS.-,7.  F.  (le  Ca^tcliKiu  :  "  llxp.  dans  Ics  pailicsLcntralfsdc  rAnicriipiL' 
du  Slid,  dc  H43  ct  1S47,"  6  -ol.,  s  .  A.  de  Varnhatjeii:  "  Hist.  (Jcral  do 
l!ra/il,"  M.idri.l  and  Rio  du  Jaiaito,  1355-7.  Dr.T.  W.iil/ :  "  Anthropoloijii; 
d<T  .\auirvolkor,"  vol.  III.,  I.eip/ii^,  1862.  C.  df  .Martius  :  "  lie  it  rage  /iir 
KthnoLjraphie  und  Spraihenkundc  .\meril<a> /iinial  i'.rasiliens,"  Li:\\:ng,  1S67- 
72.  .Maicoy  (Si.  Crio|i  :  "Voyaijc  a  traver--  TAniericiue  du  Sud,  dc  I'Ocean 
l'.icifii|iie  a  rOcL-an  Atlantiiiue,"  l'aii>,  1S6S.  R.  lUirt.jn  :  "  Highlands  of 
lira/il,"  London.  1S68.  llarlt;  "  f.cology  and  Physical  (;eography  >'f 
i'.razil,"  Hoston,  1870.  roinpcu  de  Son/a  :  "  Conipendio  dc  ( ieograjdiia  gcral 
e  especial  do  llrazil."  I.acerda  ,an.l  I'eixotto  :  "  Conlrilmvoes  arao  pestiido 
i.'Uhropolo-ico  das  Ra(;as  indigenasdo  IJra/al."  "  Archivosdo  Museo  Nacional," 
Rio  dc  Janeiro. 


m\-  oiic  ,,f 
>'.  .111(1  \(t 
■-til  toiin  ,1 
lln'  -^IiMics 

<ini|)(isr."  ' 
111     I'l'li^tS, 

IS,  i),irii..'s 

.mini, lis, 

r.  Ihf 

111  K'ss  ir- 
s    so    rii  li 

was  al)lc 
rii     iS/h/is 

w  lull    it 

sf.i-t  urtlr 

larm'  lisli- 

ir.ist  with 
[ri(  )ii>  |H  1 1, 
lliiiiri^liid 
'>t't\-  t,il)K- 
iil;i  T  Will' 
fcrtili'  (lis- 


,  I'l.-inkfiiti- 
-•  (li-    Kio  .U' 

I'lUoICS.jlK'," 

c  r.\iiR'ri.|uc 
St.  (icral  do 
ntlirc)|Hr|()gie 
Ik'itr.i^c  /Mr 
.■i|.vit,'.  iS(,7- 
,  'le  rOcL-aii 
lighl.iiiils  of 
eoj^rapliy  of 
;ra|)liia  jjcral 
arao  ])fslmlo 
D  Nacinnal," 


/•/■;/•  r 


467 


tricts  of  lira '.il  but  a  scattered  popul.Uion,  slcc-pid  in  tlu- 
saiUicst  (lcj;raclati()ii,'  and  where  cannibalism  li.is  conlinucd 
tt)  exist  to  our  own  lia).' 

This  native  popul.ition  Ixloiv^od  to  the  race  calKil 
(lu.u.ini  !))•  the  Spaniarilsand  Tiipi  by  the  l'ortui;uese.  Tlii^ 
u.i^  the  most  jjrolific  r.ue  in  .South  vXnierici.'  \\i'  niett 
with  it  ill  till-  Antilles,  in  Uriij^'ua\-,  in  (luian.i,  and  as  f.ir  as 
l).>li\i.i.  Ilu:  skin  of  the  (Iiiar.mis  was  a  shade  less  dark 
ill, 111  til, it  of  the  Aynaras  or  the  (Vpiichii.is  ;  they  were  of 
more  robust  and  viL;orous  constitution;  but,  on  the  other 
li,ind,  tluir  ch.n'.icter  was  more  violent,  .uid  their  intelligence 
w,is  k'ss  m,uked,  and   .ibo\  e  .ill.  Uss  siisit'ptibK;  of  [)ro<fress. 

Dr.  ("revMux,  of  wlio>e  iiuinKr  b_\-  the  I'ob.is  we  have 
ju>l  lir.ird,  .ind  whose  de.ith  is  ,1  i^reat  loss  to  scii'iice.  noted 
important  an.ilo_L;ies  lietween  the  laiiL^iiai^es  of  Cjui.in.i,  the 
I'pper  .\ma/on.  the  .\ntilles,  .md  that  of  the  ancient  iiih.ibi- 
t, lilts  of  the  l),iy  of  Kio  tic  J.iiuiro.  'i'liis  is  ;i  uri;^dity  f.ict 
ill  support  of  the  opinion  tli.it  ,1  siiiL^le  r.iee  peopkd  ,ill  the 
.Atl.intic    eo.ists  of   .NnuriiM.'      Hut   this   r,ue  li,m   l)trn   pro- 

'  \  .Miiliai;t'M  o^tiin.ilol  llic  imiuInT  of  iialivL-,  al  llic  liiiiu  of  llic  l'(irluj;UL'>L' 
coiKiiK'st  al  alioiit  a  iiiillion.  Tin-  <lilfi'icnl  trilios  wliiL'h  haw  rcmaiiicil  in  a 
savajjo  stalo  iii.iy  now  am, unit  up  alli'i^dlicr  to  live  luimlicil  lliou^aiid  souN. 
Tlic  rest  arc  iiici|;c.l  in  llu-  ]ioiiiil,ilion  of  tlic  country.  Tlu'ri'  arc  llic  (',;/■;(/!'•, 
cliiMicn  of  iic^K)  anil  Iiuliin  women  ;  tin-  Afiiiiii/uo's,  or  Curi/>o<o.i,  ciiiMrcn 
of  uliiic  mm  anil  Indian  women  ;  and  the  A/n.' :.','.><,  of  wliilc  and  lilack  jiarcii- 
ta^;e.     'I'hc  suliclivi>ion-.,  as  the  };encrati,m  suicei'd  each  otlier,  arc  inllnite. 

■'We  have  already  said  th.U  all,  men.  women,  and  children,  wandered  about 
in  a  si. lie  of  complete  luidily  ;  in  ^onie  lril>i>,  h,iwever,  we  liu.l  earthenware 
"  li;.;deaves,"  or  /,ii/^,i\,  Used  for  covermi^  the  sexual  Jiarts.  These  tant;as  are 
of  very  line  clay,  hakcd  in  .iie  (ire.  The  concave  siile  retains  its  natural  color, 
lint  the  convex  is  enamelled  with  while  cl.iy,  and  on  some  of  litem  a  face  is 
lepresente.l.  liartl,  "  Archives  of  the  National  .Museum  of  Kio  de  Janeiro," 
v.d.    I. 

'  l"h<-  (;alil)is,  who  are  met  with  in  French  Guiana,  .sprun-  from  a  source 
proliahly  allied  to  ihe  Tupi-,  and  which,  accordiiii;  to  Martius,  t^ave  birth,  by  a 
cross  with  thc(ni^'inal  jicoiile  of  ihc  Antilles,  to  the  redoubtable  r.ice  of  the 
Caribs.  l)"Orbi.;ny  :  "  I.'  Homme  Amcricain,"  vol.  II.,  p.  2()S.  M.  (iirard 
de  Kiallc  lias  made  the  (lalibis  very  well  known  by  his  iiecount  of  several 
natives  of  the  country  who  were  to  be  seen  in  llic  Jardin  .1' .Vcclimatation. 
(.V.i/rire,  Aw^.  19,  I,SS2). 

*  "  I'.ull.  Soc.  ,\nth.."  iS.Si,  p.  5(14. 


I.      ' 


> 


'( 


»  « 


i     1^ 


>ii;f     t 

t    ■.    ■ 

!■ 


:\ 


.■■■  . 


( 


I  • 


1  i 


/  <i 


468 


rui-.iiisToi::c  ami  un- 1. 


I. 


.  I 


I! 


'  t'l 


.  I 


■( 


■/ 


foimill)'  nKidificd  liy  prii)!'  i<v  l.ilrr  iiiU  rini.Minv^.  Sninc 
pcojili.'  present  a  \ny  inarkiil  Asi.it ii- ty pi  ;  tluir  fi^ini'  j, 
Mpi.it  and  tliick-si't  ;  tlu  ii  lairs  .i:t  tl.it.  t!u  ii«i>i-  is  Idw ,  tin 
tlicck-l)i>iu  s  ,u\-  iniiiuiiunt  ;  tin- iji's  arr  of  nhUipic  sli.qu, 
llic  skin  is  ycllnw ,  thi'  braid  tliiii,  ami  the  li.iir  l)I.n.k,  loiii^ 
and  smooth.  \\  i-  nurt  willi  tIu>o  s.mu-  i  lunutcristiis  at 
the  present  d.i)' aniDi^^^t  the  Ainiores.'  to  whnni  the  I'mtii- 
gucse  h.ive  yivi  11  tin  iianu-  of  />(>/i>ru,/i>s.'  on  aecoimt  of  the 
l.ip^e  rmind  picee  <>(  wood  (/'('/i  (///<)  nr  lalmt  whiJi  they 
are  in  the  h.ibit  of  introdiKln;.',  iiitn  in  .irtilul.il  .iperture  in 
the  lower  lip  (\\j,.  -'04.1 

'I'lu-se  piople  were  broken  up 
into  inniinur.ible  tribes,  \\\\n, 
nntw  ilh->t.indiii;4  tluir  enmnicin 
iirii^in.  were  eiiii>t.int !)•  .it  w.ir 
with  I'.ieh  othi  r.  .sjdr  by  >idi 
with  the'lii])!^,  the  l'<>rt ti-^uesc 
foimd  the  r.ipuy.is  .uul  tin 
1  iipm.iiiil),!^,  w  ill)  iieeiipied  th» 
w  hi  lie  eiia'^t .  fioni  t  he  i-l.nul  ■  'I 
."^t.  N'inK  in  til  tli.it  c  -f  M.ir.mh.'iii. 
with  iitli(r>,  the  ciiunier.itiini  of 
whiiin  wmild  bi-  <if  in>  interest. 
W'l  rr  the--('  the  iiio-t  aiieieiit 
pciiplc  dj'  Ih.i/il  ?  TliD^i-.  fur 
iii-taiui-.  w  h'  1^1'  1)1  Hie-,  h.uc  Ix  cii 
found  in  the  ea\es  of  tin-  ijfoviiuc  of  Min,i-<  ler.ics  ?  We 
are  jiistilud  in  doiibtiiv,;-  it,  .iiid  ,ihliou-li  the  t\pe  of  the 
men  of  I.,i-i..i-S,int.i  w.is  still   nut    with   at    tlu-  tim.of  the 

'Olfcr-,    Kscliwei,'L',   "  Jnuriul  v.  l!n-iliL-ii,'  vol.  II.,   p.  i,,,.     Ai  oir.liii- t.. 

Lacc-ni.i  ami  I'eixottn  (".XrIi.  ..f  i|,c  \ai,  \1;s,  ,.f   Ki,,  ,K  htiR'iro,"  vol.  I.I  u 

woiilil  hf    thi'   notociui.)^    ih.U    .ir.'    mo-i    irmiIv    ;illi,',l   i,,  ihr   primitive    nice 
of  r.ra.'il. 

*  Key  .lc^cril)os  ilif  .skull  ..f  tho  I'.oiocmlos  .is  cli.ir.Kieiizod  hy  the  proini- 
nciKcof  the  j^'Iahell.i  .iml  .if  i\h-  -uiuaLiliary  ri.lge..  l.y  the -Iq.rcsM.m  .if  the. 
root  of  the  iU)>e,  the  .nli.ence  of  fioiil.il  ituiiieiui-,  the  si„,|,licitv  of  the  Mituie^, 
Ilie  spherical  f.irm  of  the  occipital,  an.l  l,v  tl,..  cvmlm-..ph,.li<-  -h.ipe  of  the  tra- 
r.ul  cavity.  The  cephalic  in.lcx  varie.  hctween  71. (,7,  an.l  :4<(,.  lionlicr. 
'■Bull.  Soc.  .\nth.,"    iSSi,  p.  s(,f,. 


Flo.   2.j.(.-    I'.ol.icu, 


r 


l"\\,  till 
li^tiis  at 

Ilr  |'..itli. 
int  of  tile 
liiili  tlu-y 
•I  It  lire    ill 

l>r"k'cii  up 

I"  ■-,     Ullii, 

r    Cnlllllliill 

>■    .It     WAV 

I    1))'  >itK 

'"rtii'^ucsf 

.iiiil     tilt 

iipiid  til. 

i-laiKJ  <<\ 

M.ir.mlia. .. 

ifi.it ion  111 

'•  interest. 

■t     iiiuient 

■  li<  i->i-.  for 
ll.Ue  l)(  en 

pe    >.(    the 

nil-  of  tilt 

Accoriliiij;  t" 
),"  Vdl.  I.)  it 
imitivc   race 

'  the  proini- 

.s-.i(iii    I  if  iIk-, 

tlif  sutures, 

■  of  the  c  r.i- 
(>■     IJorilior, 


I'.iirope.iii  invasion.'  Ouatrcfai^es  believes  that  the  l)arl)ar()iis 
(iiiaratiis  had  litlur  as  preilecessors  or  eoiileinpoiarics  ,i 
more  civili/itl  raee.  If  we  adii-it  thi-  lattir  hypothesis,  it 
woiilil  be  U)  this  unkiiouii  race  that  ue  must  attribute  tin 
few  inei;aliths,  and  the  roek-paintiii'js  and  eii^^ravini^fs  so  frc- 
tpieiitlv  iiiel  w  ith  ill  Hni/il. 

Ilerknian.  si'iit  into  the  interior  of  the  province  of  I'er- 
nainbueo  l)y  the  prince  of  Nassaii-SieL;tii,  ilurin};  the  Dutch 
iloniinatioii.  lueiUioned  tu..  perfectly  round  stones,  the 
lar.ijer  six  fiet  in  di.niieti  r.  placed  one  upon  the  otiur."  This 
is  one  of  those  structures  which  charactiri/e  the  iiif.incy  of 
culture  in  all  socii-ties.  It  has  been  t.ikeii  for  aa  altar,  on 
account  of  the  .iccuniiil.ition  of  atones  .iboiii  it.  which,  in 
accordance  with  .in  .iJiiio^t  iini\rr--,il  ctHtoin.  l)e,ir  witiu  s  lo 
the  \i'iU'r,itioii  of  the  n.itivi'>.  In  sevi'r.il  places  in  the  int'.- 
rior  of  tlu;  countr\-  explorers  Ii.im'  met  with  tumuli,  .some- 
times of  stones,  sonuliine^  of  e.trth.  In  all.  e\ca\'  'ions 
li.ue  yielded  i)ones,  ,tnd  with  the  boius  we.ipoiis.  orij...neiits 
of  cliert  or  li...(i  ■ '  ck,  cryst.i!--.  piece-^  of  eor.il  ,iiid  iut.iii  '  root. 

rile  solitmU's  of  I'ai.i  .iiid  ri,iiili_\-  coiit.iiii  int  •  Jio 
scul[)t  uies,  the  work  of  \,iiii>lu(l  r.icis.  These  represent 
anini.ils.  birds,  .iiul  men  in  the  most  wiried  .ittitudes;  soiin- 
of  whom  li,i\e-  the  body  t.ittooed,  .md  others  are  crowned 
with  fe.ithers;  wliiUt  arabestpies  .md  scrolls  complete  the 
picture.* 

Philippe  Re\-  mentions,  .it  the  .Sierr.i  da  Onca.  on  the 
rocks  overlookiii;..;'  the  ii;^lit  b.mk  of  the  Rio  Doce.the  occur- 
rence of  dr.iwmL;s  in  rid  ochri',  sometimes  sinijl)'  .md  some- 
times v;roiipe(l  without  api>,ire!it  order  (I'l;^'.  ^05).  Is  this 
an  inscrijitioii,  and  must  we  .ittribute  to  these  diMwiiiLjs  any 
meanitv^f  be\-oiul  the  c.iprice  of  the  artist  r'  Wc  should  not 
\enture  to  sa\- :    for  all   interiifet.ition  ajijiears  to  be   inipos- 

'  I  )c  «.)u.ntrcf.iges,  Coii};.  Antli.  dc  .Mdscou.  1S77. 

'!■'.  Dciii.s,  "  Lc  l{ri'>ii,"i..  ■.•52. 

'  llyiiiL'iico.i  ciirharii.  C.  Katli,  "  Kcvista  .!.>  Iii-titui.)  liistorico,  ^eogra- 
pliico,  ftliiii>j;ia|iliu'i>  ill"  r>ra/il,"  1S71. 

*  Debrct,  "  Voy.  pitt.  ct  lii>t.  an  lirrMl  d.  puU  i>r(.  jii^'iiiVii  1S31."  I'ari.s, 
1S7.,. 


f  1 


I  » 


r^ 


<  I 


I'M 


*(  f 


:\ 


'i! 


't ) 


]'. 


i 


^^  ': 


4/0 


rh'F.-iiisTOK/c  .i.v/:a'/(.  a. 


1'      '  l|  -l 


1 


■II 


I 


i    i': 


sihlc'  In  tlio  province  of  Ccar.i  arc  rocks,  reminding  u-^.  by 
tin-  cn';ravin;4s  witli  which  llicy  arc  covered,  of  thusc 
in  Scanilinavia  {Cv^.  2oG).  A.  de  Saint-1  lilaire  ineMlmn^ 
similar  ones  on  the  rocks  of  Tijuco  •  Koster  speaks  of  a 
boat  sculptnred  in  intai;li<\'  and  every  thin<,f  justifies  us  in 
hoping'  forncw  discoveries  as  travellers  are  able  to  ^)enetratr 


^' 


^ > 


jM-W- 


) 


^ 


■^ 


'Vv 


h 


111 


-+ 

Fig.  205.  —  Engravings  on  rock  on  the  right  hank  of  the  Kio  Docc. 

more  freely  into  the  virc^in  forests,  savannahs,  anti  desert-^, 
makin;^  up  a  i;reat  part  of  the  Brazilian  territory. 

On  the  north,  the  zone  of  the  so-c.dlcd  I'iedras  Tintadas, 
stretches  into  theCiuianas,  from  the  I'aracaima  mountains  to 
Uruana.  These  dra\vin;^s.  according  to  Humboldt,  date  from 
diffrrent  periods  and  arc  the  work   of  ver)-  different    people. 

'"Hull,  r  )c.  Anth.,"  1S70,  p.  732. 

'"■'  "Voyage  dan^  la  partie  -.cptcntrioiialc  ilii  lire^il  ilepiiis  iSoij  jii.Mpi'en   1S15." 


^1 


t , 


ri-RU. 


471 


^ 


111 


•+ 


Bi!t  who  were  those  people?     The  illu^;trious  Gorman  trav- 
cHi-r  atkls  notliin;^  to  make  them  known  to  us.      Tlicsc  I'icd- 
ras  I'intadas  are  met  with  in   tlie  south   as  in  the  north,  in 
t'hili  and  in  Vc.w,  as  well  as  in   Arizona  .uul    \lw  Mexico, 
nrescnti'ii;    every    where    a  remarkable    analoL;v    with  each 
other.     This  constant  resemblance,  not  met  with  to  a  simi- 
lar dcrce  amouij  any  other  peoples  of  the  Ljlobe,  is  a  racial 
characteristic,  dilTicult  to  disrec;ard.    AmcLjhino  reproduces  a 
nnat    many    inscriptions,   which   he    discovered    within  the 
bounds  of  the  Ari^i'ntine  Republic,  and  whicli  may  be  coni- 
p.ired  with  tho^c  of   Brazil';  they  appear  to  be   more  com- 
plicated, as  may  be  seen  by  that  of  which  we  ^^nve  a  drawing 
fi;^-.   207);    their  art 
is    of   a    somewhat 
niore   tl  ev  elope  d 
character,  and  they 
doubtless  date  from 
a    nKjre    recent    pe- 
riotl. 

It  is  difficult  to 
attribute  the  ilraw- 
ini^s  of  Hrazil  or  of 
Uru;4ua>-  to  tribes 
of  the  Ciuarani  race,  j,„;  _,^jo. 

thouL;h  the  case  of  -it. 

the  African  Hushmen  mi-ht  justify  us  in  supposm-  that 
sava-es,  even  as  de-raded  as  these  are  represented  to  have 
been  may  have  had  sufficient  intelligence  to  rudely  repio- 
duce  on  stone  the  objects  which  struck  their  inta^umtu-n. 
-riu-  s.une  remark,  however,  will  hardly  apply  t-  a  suhterra- 
iiean  t.assa-e  of  considerable  len-th,  excavated  m  very  com- 
pact sandstone,  which   excavations  have  lately  brought  to 

''^(^;  penetrating^to_^^^A.^v.,  as  this  subterranean   pas- 

^TT;:;;;7;:7ohjcU.s    ....    no.ahles.    creosou    la.  numonw.    i.wripcio.us 
.,l.,c  n,cas  ,«c  luu,   .k-scubior..,  on   diversos  ,,«ntos  de  1,.  ,.rov.naa. 
.Vntiijucdad  del  Ilombre,"  vol.  1.,  l'.  54i.  H^-  3?3  to  3(^4- 


ii.iL'iiuUun  oil  ruck  at  Ccara. 


\\  \ 


1 1' 


If 


.t     .        ,  \\ 


\    I 


1 


■!^ 


n 


i. 


i*H 


472 


r/a.-i/is  TOKh  ■  .i.u/.AWc.i. 


M 


'\ 


,  1 


I 


I 


f 


i    ! 


w 


sai^o  is  called,  wo  .itT  a=5tnnishc(l  at  the  sight  of  colum-i-; 
pliiccd  at  regular  ilistances,  supporting  a  regular  v.iulud 
roof,  and  alUonverging  toward  a  eoinnion  centre.'  I'.xi.i- 
vations.  which  have  tlui-^  far  been  very  superficial,  have  only 
yielded  a  few  agate  arrow-point > :  now  the  nearest  known 
deposit  of  agate  's  on  the  banks  of  the  Kio  W^gro.  so  that 
it  may  probabl\-  have  been  from  there  that  these  arrow- 
points   were  derived.       There    is  no  serious    traditit)n    coii- 


FiG.  JOT.— Uock  covered  with  ciii^r;ivini;s.      I'rovince  of  ("at.inmrci. 

nccted  with  ih.ise  structures,  so  that  we  will  content  our- 
selves with  mentioning  them,  am!  adding  that  our  ignorance 
is  complete  as  to  tluir  dale  and  'irigin. 

We  must  say  the  same  \^>v  the  potter)- collected  in  l.irge 
quantities  in  Hra/il  .md  l.a  I'lata.  The  most  import, uit  dis- 
coveries of  this  kind  are  those  madt'  by  I'liitessor  I  j.irtt  '  on 
the  island  of  l'aco\-al-Nbu,iio  ,md  ,it  T.ipe-iinha  on  the  Rio 
Tapajos,  one  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Amazon.      The)-  in- 

'  M.irio  Isol.i,  "  Caveiiia  tonociila  jior  jKil.ieici  MitcrrciiKi  ile  I'miiiii^os  ikp.  >\r 
San  Jose."  (R.  O.  del  U.»  Amei;hiM<),  /,  c.,  p.  4()l.  "  El  Sij^lo  ilc  Menlc- 
video." 

''  "  ke]Hirl,  I'cahoi'.y  Museum,"  1'73,  \<.  20. 


I 


HriiB 


r 


coluiniK 
\-.iultcd 

'l\'C  only 

know  II 
^<>  thai 
it'  ;in-(iw. 
ion    ciiii- 


ri.RU. 


An 


ahli-  us  to  jiul.i,a>  of  tlic  f^cMRM-al  form  and  ornamrntation  of 
this  chiss  of  objects,  thr  latter  (.(insistiii.^r  ehirlly  .if  s..nu'\vliat 
coiiipUcatetl  hues  traced  on  the  si>ft  clay  or  on  thai  ainadv 
hardened  by  the  sun.  The  v.iscs  uxiv  al.>o  souietiinJs 
j)ainted.  and  some  cups  in  the  form  of  ijirds,  of  thr  most 
l)rilliant  colors,  are  especial!)-  luentiotied.  Ihe  iiantlles  i)re- 
sint  a  no  less  curious  \ariet\-.  imitatin;.,^  sometimes  animal>, 
sometimes  different  parts  of  the  human  Ix.dy,  more  often 
•^till  ;4rotes(|ue  heads.  In:a:_'inat ion  was  certaini)- not  want- 
ini;-  to  thesf  unknown  potters.  .\n  urn  two  fnt  and  a  half 
hiL,di  by  four  {vvX  in  diameter,  a  clumsy  imitation  of  the 
human  boil)-,  is  the  most  remarkabK-  of  tin-  objects  sent  bv 
ll.irtt  to  the  I'e.ibod)-  Mu-<eum.  A  number  of  >imilar  urns, 
calh'd  by  llartt  /■"./((•  T/v/.v,  ha\e  .ilso  been  found,  some  of 
them  containino'  human  bones.  They  evidenth- date  from 
rt'inote  times,  for  nothinc;  that  \\e  know  of  the  mode  of  life 
of  the  Tupis.  .111(1  especiall)- of  their  funereal  rites,  justities 
us  in  attributing  these  urns  to  them. 

Some  tra;_;nients  of  pottt'ry  h.ue  aNo  l)cen  found  under  .i 
kitchen  midden  ne.u"  .S.mt.irenn  pro\  iiice  larai;  llartt  dates 
this  miilileii,  which  c<ui->isls  entirely  of  fre^h-w.iler  shells, 
from  the  same  i)eri(nl  .is  the  mo>t  ancient  heaps  in  Morida. 
The  broken  fr.i;_;ments  of  pottery  were  .accompanied  by 
boni's  of  \arious  .inimal>  :  .nul  the-e  bones,  enclosed  in  a 
com|)act  i)reccia,  nn;.;lit  ha\e  su])plied  some  useful  iiulic.i- 
tioii-,;  l)ut,  unfortunately.  the)-ha\e  not  been  described,  or 
at  le.ist  tlu'ir  liescription  h. is  not  le.iched  I".uro])e. 

Harboso  Rodrinuez.  comnnssioned  be  the  brazilian  (iov- 
ermnent  to  e\])lore  tlu-  \alle_\-  of  the  .\m,i/on.  s|)e,iks  of 
innumer.d)le  fr.i^nieiit'^  of  potler_\-  heaped  up  ei-liteeii  miles 
above  the  junction  of  the  Rio  d.is  Trcunbetl.i-^.  also  calleil 
the  Orix.inii'na,  with  the  .\ma/on.'  In  this  ixpedition  he 
discovered  sever.d  si)eciinens  of  a  sto  e  ima:^e,  cdled  Mm- 
rakitan.  It  represi'iUs  a  to.id  or  a  fro:;,  cut  out  o|  hard  rock 
Accordin'T  to  tradition,  these  were  amidets  i;iven  by  the 


'II.  l-'isiluT  :    ••  Mil-  r  oiitjiiic  (lc>  iiicrrcs  diU'^  A'  AiiKUoiic  el  -ur  cc  pi'iipK 
fnliulfiix,"  iSSi",  |).   127. 


J  .,     I 


\  ^  I 


!n 


\ 


\- 


i 


I 


i,  \ 

w 


•i. : 


*' 


•rt'«i 


.'I 


i:';^ 


j„ 


W' 


,-^ 


I  <• 


474 


PKEJ/is  /-ok'n  •  .i.)//:a'/c.i. 


I     ' 


k 


i  '• 


:7 


1 


li 

}'■ 


i: 
?, 


7\iriazons  lo  their  lovers  at  their  amnial  meeting];  (in  the 
banks  of  the  Yanuiml.i.  Similar  imitations  of  batrachia  arc 
met  with  in  Mexico  anil  Peru,  and  we  have  spoken  of  the 
su]ierstitious  idea  connected  with  them  b\-  the  Chibchas. 
A>  for  the  fable  of  the  Ama/.oiis,  it  dates  back  to  the  ac- 
count of  Orillana,  one  of  I'i/arro's  conipanions.  who  wrnt 
down  tlie  ri\er  in  the  v'l'.irs  1539  and  1540.  and  on  his  return 
to  Spain  told  of  the  b.ittles  he  had  washed  with  women  .is 
Avarlike  .is  men.  Tlusi-  adversaries  were  probably  the 
I'aupes.  slim  beartlK^s  Indians,  with  delicati-  extremities 
and  feminine  fcatun^.  whosi'  wives  wvrc  only  the  witnesses 
of  struL;;4k"^  in  which  the)-  took  nn  direct  part. 

L.isth-.  tn  conclude  I'ver)-  thini;  relating;  to  the  ])ottery  of 
South  America,  we  must  mention  some  urns  fouml  in  the 
iskuuls  situ.ited  to  the  north  nf  lUienos  .\\res,  near  the 
mouth  of  tlu'  I'arina.'  These  urns  are  of  plastic  cl.i)',  .uul 
the  baking-  to  which  the\-  were  subjecteil  liaviuL;-  been  \ery 
superficial,  the)-  f.dl  to  pieces  as  soon  as  the)'  are  disinterred. 
Tlu'  fr.ii^ments  var)-  frnm  an  inch  to  a  (piarter  of  an  inch  in 
thickness.  It  h.is  been  possible  to  preserx'e  one,  with  ver\- 
i;re;U  care;  this  is  innri'  th.in  eiL;hteen  inches  hi^h.  b)'  a  di- 
ameter of  ne.ul)-  twenl)-thrc-e  inches.  It  is  of  circular  and 
perfectl)- re;^nilar  fnrni  ;  tin.'  upper  p.irt  is  rapidl)-  intlected, 
so  as  to  form  a  kind  ><(  neck  two  inches  hi;j;h,  with  a  lan;e 
openm;^^  The  vase  was  painted  white,  and  ornamented 
uith  lines,  circle^,  aiul  sipiari's  p, tinted  red.  These  decora- 
tio!is  vary  infinitel)-,  and  a  L^reat  man)-  ])ieces  of  potter)' 
bear  ornaments  in  relief,  moulded  when  soft.  Mach  urn  con- 
tained a  seated  skeleton,  with  the  head  bendinij^  ovit  tlu' 
breast  and  the  knees  drawn  up  tow.n-d  the  chin.  .Ml  tlu' 
bones  were  so  much  deiouiiio-ed,  b)- constant  inundations 
of  the  cemeter)-.  th.it  it  was  imi)ossible  to  ex.imine  them. 
In  the  province  of  lueunian  simil.u-  urns  are  mentioned, 
also  containin.Lj  skeletons,  in  that  of  I..1  Rioja  the  bodies 
were    pl.iced   in   a  similar   pu-itioti,  but    this   time    in   rush- 

'  r.urmeisler  :  "  Congrc.s  .1' Ainlu.ipoloi;ic  ct  d' .\rclicoloi;ie  prchisloriques," 
.Ikusscls,  1S72,  p.  343. 


1 


PERU. 


475 


on   tlio 

cilia  arc 

of  tlu' 

liil)clias. 

thr  ac- 
iii  went 
is  return 
•nun  as 

)!>•  tlu' 
ri'initics 
itncsscs 


baskets.  The  vases  or  baskets  were  deposited  ii-,  natural  or 
artificial  caves.  Here  \vc  have  a  very  characteristic  funeral 
rite. 

W'c  have  been  careful  to  omit  none  of  the  discoveries 
made.  These  sculptures.  paiiUiiiL^s,  and  pieces  of  pottery, 
found  at  considerable  distances  from  each  other,  appear  to 
bear  witness  to  a  hii;her  culture  than  that  met  with  bv  the 
first  Kuropeaiis  who  kuulid  on  the  eastern  coast  of  South 
America.  In  Hr.i/.il  and  l'rui;ua>-  ^toiie  hatchets,  weapons, 
and  implements  of  every  kind  have  frecpiently  been  picked 
up  l.atel)'  similar  weapons,  found  in  the  auriferous  de- 
jxjsits  of  the  province  of  Maranhao.  on  the  north-east  coast 
of  Urazil,  have  been  taken  to  the  iVnthropolo-^ical  Society 
of  Paris.'  These  are.  as  Dr.  11  ain\- remarked  at  the  time, 
analoj^ous  to  those  which  come  to  us  from  Guiana,  Mar- 
tinicpie.  (in.ulaloupe,  Tahiti,  aiul  Upper  Peru,  thus  pleading 
in  favor  of  the  affinity  of  the  (iuarani  group  with  the  races 
inhalMtin;4  the  Antilles.  I'or  the  present  natives,  these 
stones  of  tliverse  forms,  which  tluy  look  upon  with  supersti- 
tious terror,  have  all  f.illen  from  the  sky.  It  is  interesting 
to  meet  in  .America  with  a  lei^eiul  which  is  also  prevalent 
among  the  nations  of  the  Okl  World.'' 

Here  closes  our  arch;eological  task.'  We  have  given 
a  resume  of  the  ver\'  numerous  works  of  man  in  the  two 
Americas  ;  we  must  now  study  the  physical  conformation 
of  that  man  himself,  which  will  be  the  subject  of  the 
following  chapter. 

'  •'  Hull.  Soc.  .Anlli.,"  iSSi,  p.  2o6. 

'■'  "  I.es  rrcmicrs  Homines  it  los   Toinps  prc-historique-,"  vol.  I,,  p.  ii. 

'  liarboso  Rodriijucz  li.is  rciciitly  fouiul,  writes  the  Hniperor  of  \.\x\7\\,  to  M. 
do  (,)ii;ilrtfages,  a  iiatchct  of  jadcite  ;  which  lias  liccii  coinidcred  to  be  a 
leniarkable  f.act,  as  no  depoiit  of  jadeile  ha^  been  known  in  .\meiica  until  very 
lately.  Within  the  last  few  years,  however,  jadeite  has  been  discovered  in  situ 
both  in  .\l,i.,ka  and  Xicarai;ua. 


i  !' 


\    I 


I 


'  1 . 


J 


y 


Wfh.  I 


I  It 


..'h 
■'^ 


•ii 


i 


\:i 


f\ 


'\ 


ciiAi''ri:R  IX. 


nil      MIX    I  i|     .\Mi:i<HA. 


1..  the  prcccdiiiL;  chapters  i>  related  all  that  it  is  at  present 
pi)>>il)le  to  state  ileliiiitely  about  the  times  which  l)i'ecciled 
the  Spanish  invasion  in  America.  We  have  seen  the  fnst 
inhabitants  of  the  New  World  jiassin;^  successi\el)-  through 
the  ph^ises  of  a  ci\ili/.ation  a!ialo_L;(nrs  to  that  of  our 
ancestors;  strui4i;lim;  with  luiml)le  >tone  weapons  aijainst 
the  gii^antic  animals  wliieh  ha\e  for  ever  disapiieared,  i)ilinL; 
up  huge  earthworks  to  defend  their  he.irths,  to  honor  their 
i;(.)ds.  or  their  dead,  sCiilini;  almost  inaccessible  rocks  to  erect 
their  dwellins^s.  foundini;  towns,  l)uiKlin;4  monuments,  culti- 
vatin;,;  the  arts,  e-l.il)li>hin;4  i;()Vernments,  and  obi'_\in_i(  fixeil 
laws.  W'emu-'l  now  ^tudy  the>e  men  from  the  point  of  view 
of  their  phy>ical  conformation,  (.■xamiiie  the  consecpiences 
which  result  from  the^^e  stuilie>.  and  the,  as  yet  ver>'  incom- 
plete, conclusions  which  the)-  justify. 

Let  us  tr.uirse  once  more  the  districts  where  we  ha\e 
noted  the  relics  or  memento-,  of  man  ;  let  us  demand  of  the 
sand  of  the  pamjjas,  the  mounds  of  the  .Mi>sissippi,  the  hua- 
cas  of  I'eru.  the  huts  of  the  h'skimo,  the  bones  which  they 
conceal.  XothiuL;  th.il  touches  ihisr  ([uestions  can  be  in- 
different to  the  thinker.  TliL-se  nu:n,  of  whom  a  few  miser- 
al)le  relics  are  the  sole  witnesses,  have  lix'ed,  lined, 
stru;^'i,ded,  and  suffered  like  ourselves.  Their  life  has  been 
like  the  life  of  our  fathers,  their  past  like  the  past  ol  our 
own  race;  their  instincts,  their  aspirations,  their  ideas,  wire 
like  the  instincts,  the  aspirations,  the  ideas,  of  our  predeces- 
sors. Unfortunately  these  bones,  the  importance  of  which 
was  once  not   eve;i    suspected,   have    not    always   been   pre- 

476 


I     I 


\1: 


I  '  i' 


IL 


L 


THE   MEN  OF    .tM/.h'lCA. 


477 


present 

the  first 

lliniii_-li 

ot     our 

ai^ainst 

lor  their 
to  erect 
it>,  eulti- 
\\v^  fixed 
t  of  \  iew 
-'(jiieiKes 
■  inconi- 

uc  ha\e 
id  of  the 
the  h in- 
ch they 
n  be  iii- 
iv  miser- 
lo\ed, 
as  been 
of  our 
IS,  WHie 
redt'Ces- 
f  which 
en  pre- 


served witli  proper  care.  The  excavations  undertaken, 
eitiier  out  of  curiosit)'  or  in  search  of  treasures  dear  tn 
creilulity  and  axarice.  were  often  not  metliodically  con- 
ducted, or  superintended  b\-  com])etent  men  ;  hence  nu- 
nurous  errors,  of  which  it  is  well  to  warn  the  reader  .it  the 
outset. 

i\nion<^st  the  most  ancient  luunan  relics  discovered  on 
American  soil  ma\' be  ranked  .i  skull  brouj^ht  to  li;4lit  1)\- the 
works  of  a  rail\\a\-  near  Deiuer.  three  .uid  a  half  feet  bei(nv 
till'  surface  of  the  j^rounii.'  It  lay  in  a  loess  which  does  not 
appear  to  have  been  at  all  displaced;  this  loess  covers  im- 
mense i)lains,  aiul  offers  a  strikin;^'  resemblance  to  the  ijiaci.d 
deposits  of  Murope.  We  have  alread}-  noted  in  our  first 
chajiter  that  it  has  yieldetl  numerous  implements,  of  a  make 
\er)'  similar  to  those  of  Kuropean  pale(jlithic  times.  I'Lvery 
thini;'  points  to  the  conclusion  that  this  skull  dates  from  the 
same  jjeriod  ;  but  we  have  no  details  as  to  its  structure,  and 
if  it  pro\es  the  existence  of  man  on  the  .\merican  continent 
duriuL;- the  i^lacial  period,  it  does  not  tell  us  what  this  man 
was  like,  who  li\eil  in  the  mi(Ut  of  glaciers. 

We  ha\"e  s])oken  of  the  very  curious  discoveries  of  Amo- 
i;hino  in  the  La  Plata  ])ampa>,  which  disco\eriis  were  su[)- 
l)l(  inentetl  and  confirmed  b\'  others  in  1SS2.'  The  whole  of 
the  countr_\-  between  lUieiios  Ayres  and  Kosario  alon;^  the 
Parana,  is  a  vast  undulatini;'  plain,  about  five  thousand 
scpiare  lea;^ues  in  area. 

The  pampean  form.it ion  is  beneath  a  first  layer  of  vei^o- 
t.ible  e.irth  about  three  feet  deep:  it  includes  an  upper 
l.i)-ei- \ar\-ini;-  from  fifteen  to  ei;4ht>-  feet,  which  L;oes  dnwn 
ti>  the  borders  of  the  stream  as  tar  as  the  le\el  of  the  w.iter, 
and  iseh.ir.icterized  by  the  presence  of  the  (';iy[)todon.  M\lo- 
don,  ami  iloplophorus,  with  some  eipiine  and  nimiii.mt  ani- 
mals ;     also   a   second   l.i\er.   from   three   to   ten   teet   thick, 

'Cli.  Al)l)oU  ;  "'I'lic  l':iltM,litliif  Imi.lcincnt,-,  fnnti  the  e'.I.icial  Drift  in  t lit- 
\  alley  of  the  Doi.iw.iro  iicu  rrcntoii.  Xfw  .kT.,oy."  "  Keporl,  rcalmdy 
MiiM-mn,  1S7S,"  vdl.  li.,  p.  257. 

•('.   \di;i  ;     '•  SquflfUo  iiumaiii  as^ocic  aux    glyptodoiUos,"    "  liull.    Soc. 

Aiith.,"  2ulli  t)it.,  iSSl. 


!>  1 


■  \ 

j 


H 


f.      f 


■;1 
J 


'J 


i 


'•••1  f- 

-;m  fi- 


J 


/  i 


I  V 


'k 


;  m 


•/ 


'I 
I 

1 


'» .    ' 


1      1 


'ir    ', 


I, 


■\ 


I  ti 


!l  lit 


!t 


4/S 


y'A7-..y//.s7('A7('  .IM/  h'/C.l. 


whore  the  hoTios  are  K"ss  friable  and  bettor  prp<;crvc(!.  Ii 
contains  the  rem. tins  of  the  .M.istoch)n,  Mei^atlieriuni.  .mil 
Toxodon.  Rotli,  to  wliotn  \vr  oui'  these  ik-tails.  looks  \\\u<\\ 
the  twi)  l,i\  ITS  as  hrlon^^iiiL;  to  tlie  (|uat  rrnary  a;4c  ;  but  \\ 
assorts  that  in  hi-^  miineiiuis  c\ca\atioiis  he  lias  alwa}-- 
found  till'  twti  faiMKe  eompU'tel}-  diNtinet. 

It  wa-Mii  the  ^^•-^t  la\iT  th.it  the  human,  relies  were  picked 
lip,  near  I'oiitinulo  uu  thr  north  of  the  pri>\inee  of  Rurni>, 
A\i"cs.  rhe\'  included  a  skull  withtho  lowrr  jaw;  the  icr- 
vieal  \irti  bi.e  were  ,it  ,i  di->taner  from  tho  skull;  the  libs 
la\'  here'  and  thrrc  ;  and  oiu-  knnir  adln nd  tn  thr  pcKis. 
Tlu'  boms  ol  one  h.nid  wvw  in  llu'ir  place;  thosi.'  of  tlu- 
(.ilhcr,  with  those  of  the  foot,  weii-  disperscil  ;  and  sc\eral 
were  niissint;-. 

All  the  bdiics  were  (Uxoniposed,  and  the  outor  parts  wvw 
eaten  awa)'  i)y  iKcax  .  riu\-  \\\w  pl.urd  bnuMth  thi'  eara- 
pa\  ol  a  ( il_\'i)todiiii,  t  urued  up->idi:  dn\\  ii.  L'ndrr  the  >kull 
were  found  an  iiy^tiT-shcll  and  an  implenuiit  of  deerdiorn. 
on  whiih  Inunan  workmanship  was  M.aret'l_e  ajijiarent. 

Such  are  tlulaets;  we  aie  bound  to  mentiou  them,  in 
order  to  omit  lothiiv^  in  nl.it  iou  to  the  important  subject 
under  uotiee.  L  ntort  un.itely.  w  e  h,i\  e  no  iiifonii.itiou  as  to 
the  -h.ipe  of  the  ski  11.  or  th.it  of  the  lon;_;-  bones.  The  i.ipid 
displacenu.-nls  ri'-ultin--  fioui  r.un.  wind,  ,ind  ri\ulets  of 
water,  re'sultiiv,;-  froui  the  const, mt  storms  of  tlu-  district,  i)re- 
vent  Us,  uiorci)\ar,  trom  beiu^^  ])o-,iti\-el\-  certain  of  the 
coiitempor.meily  of  the  owner  of  tlie  bones  with  the  Glx'pto- 
don. 

We  have  nothin;^  to  add  to  what  we  have  said  .about  the 
human  skeletons  met  with  in  the  cues,  which  formed  the 
homes  or  buri.d-places  of  the  .nuient  Americ.ms.  Some  of 
these  bones  probably  d.ite  fioui  a  ver_\- remote  anti'pn't\-,  but 
the  observations  made  .nv  not  yet  suflicicntly  numerous  to 
admit  of  any  final  conclusion. 

We  shall  make  but  one  exception  in  f.ivor  of  the  skull 
of  Lagoa  Santa  dhazili,  and  will  bonow  the  description 
given  by  M.  de  (Juatrcfa:4es  at  the  meetin-   of   the  Anthro- 


f  Mi 


I 


/ 


^~'*    \^ 


vcd.  Ii 
mil,  .111,1 
ls>  i:|ii  i!) 

bill    |. 

.il\\,i_\ 

picked 

lllllllus 

tile    (ri- 
ll.'   Ill)-, 
'  pcKis. 
:■    of   the 


I 


/•///■;    .UhX  0/    AM/.k/CA. 


479 


pological  Cnnj^rcss  licld  at  Moscow  in  1S79.'  "  Thi.?  ^-kull," 
lie  says,  "  bcloiv^cd  to  an  individiial  more  than  thirty  vcais 
old;  outside  it  presents  a  nietanic,  Ijron/.ed  aspect;  its 
wii.Ljht  is  considerable.  Tlie  zyL;()ni.itic  airlies  are  broken 
in  tile  niicUllt' ;  the  st\'U)id  processes  ha\e  (hsappeaied  ;  on 
the  riyht  temple  we  see  an  elliptical  openin^^  forty-ciyiit  niil- 
hinetres  by  twenty,  probal)l\-  causeil  by  the  I)low  of  some 
instrument  wliich  causetl  death.  'Thi,'  foreliead  is  low  and 
retroatini;,  as  in  all  Americ.ui  skulls;  the  -labclla  is  j)n.mi- 
lunl  ;  the  supra-orbital  riil^jes  are  \eiy  prumimiU  •  and  the 
occiput  is  almost  vertical.  The  external  occipital  jirotuber- 
ance  is  wide,  smooth,  and  not  promiiu'iil  ;  tlu'  plane  of  the 
foramen  mai^num  carried  forward  incliuKs  a  horizontal  line 
joinin;^  the  two  orbits.  Tlu-  cheek-boius  are  prominent, 
and  project  in  front.  Tlu'  orbits  are  (piadraiv^iil.u-,  aiiil  the 
lateral  walls  of  the  skull  are  wrtical.  The  iiListuid  pro- 
cesses arc  small,  and  aliiio-,1  completely  united.  On  the 
upper  jawd)one  we  see  fourteen  alveuli  more  or  less  frac- 
tured, and  the  second  molar  tooth  is  worn  .i\\a\."^ 

We  must  also  itniark  th.it  the  c.qjacil}-  of  the  cr.uiiuni 
(ISSS  cubic  centimetres),  although  sm.dl,  is  i;reater  ill, in  the 
a\er.i_L;e  of  the  skulls  of  the  .Mound  Ihiililers,  and  that  the 
ci'phalic  iiide.K  {(nj.jz)  is  ot  a  pronounced  ilolichocei)li.ilic 
t)'pe.^  The  weariiv^f  away  of  the  incisors,  of  which  we  lia\c 
■  dread)-  had  occasion  to  s])eak,  .itlracted  the  attention  of 
Lund.  lie  looked  upon  this  char.icteristic  as  peculi.u- to  the 
iii.in  of  .Sumidouro,  and  thought  tli.it  it  ou;_;lit  to  separate 
him  from  the  various  luim.ui  r.ices,  exce[)t  jierhaps  from  the 
.incient  ICL,r\-ptians,  amoiiy  whom  the  same  peculiarity  is  met 
with.     To  l)e  Ouatrefa;;es,  on  the  contrar\-,  this  peculiarity, 

'  licsiiles  the  accuimt  yivLii  of  this  Ci)ni;icss  may  bi;  consulted  the  "  .MJ- 
nii)iic-  lie  l;i  Soc.  d'  Hist,  el  ile  litMt;;.  ilu  liresil." 

'  .\  skull,  the  geiicinl  fumi  of  wliich  is  veiy  duicIi  the  s.iiiic,  ha.-  been  found 
at  Roclv  1J1"IT,  on  the  lionleis  of  Illinois.  .Stliuiidi  :  "Zur  L'rgeschiciite  Nord 
Ainerika,"  Air/ii:'  Jiir  Aii/hiv/'oh>i;ii-,  vol.  \'.,  ]).  241. 

"  i.acerda  and  I'eixotlo  aft'iiii)  that  the  ancient  lace^  of  liMzil  were  doliclio- 
ce])halic.  Th;;  same  peculiarity  is  of  fieiiueiit  oceiinence  in  the  skulls  picked 
u|i  in  the  plains  of  the  Argentine  Republic,  and  Sefior  .Moreno,  in  his  turn,  as- 
serts the  same  to  he   Mue  with  ret;ard  to  tho>e  from  the  pir.aderos  of  I'alai^onia. 


>■  :' 


1'  ; 


1  \ 


I 


':\ 


t 


J^ 


\^. 


'It  • 


lift  IV,  ! 


') 


\ 


u 


SV 


I   I 


I  f 


r  *' 


/•A7-///.S7(M7C  .IV/.A'/C.l. 


noted  :imon;][^t  all  the  fus^il  luiropoan  mccs,  rstahlisluN  an 

uiu'xi)e'ctiil  ri.'latii>n>hii)  hi-twccn  tlu-  priniitivi.'  inlial)ilaiUs 

of  tin.-  Oil!  ami  tlir  Ni'u  WorKl.     "  It   is  curious,"  he  ,uKls, 

"lo  scr  so  sliikiiii;  .m  aititkial  thai.ulrristie,  and  wliicli  i.m 

onl\'  result  fioin  a  loninitui  nioile  o|    ni.istiiation,  oeiuniiv^' 

aniiiiiL;st   paK'oiitolo'^ieal   pruplr-.   and  thru  diN.i|ipi',iiin._f  i  ii. 

tiivlv  .unonL;--t  the  li\inL;  raees  of  tlu'  two  eoiitiiients." 

liut  the  d,ni;,;i  r  of  t<io  ha>ty  i^enerali/ation   is  heri'  exlnh- 

itid  in  a  ■-trikin;^  nianmr,  for  this  feituri-  is  conniiDn   \\"{ 

onl\-    til    nio^t    eiania    of    the    northern     Indians    of     N'l.ith 

Anieriea,  hut  exhihited  ,ilnio-,t  without  except  ion  anioiv^  tlu' 

I'l--kiino    ,111(1    1  lyperhore.ni     peojjle    now    li\in;;     in     North 

America  ,uul   northe.istiTn   Asia. 

( Juatrefav;e- also  .ifllrnied  that  the  sh.ipe  of  the  head  found 

in  the  cr.uii.i  of  I,,il:o.i  S.inta  i-^  nut  with  on   the  slK)res  uf 

both  oceans,  .mil  .i>  far  ,1^  the  he.nl   of   tile    l'eru\  ian  I'ordil- 

ler.i.      It  i-- al--o   SITU    in    two   modern  A\-in,UM  skulls,  .ind  in 

SOUK  lie.uU  ex.uniiied  by  W'uiier.      We  iii.iy  re,ison,d)ly  coii- 

cludi- th.it  the  iMce  of   which  the  he, id   found   \)y  laiiid   i>  .i 

t\pe  '  coiUrihuted  ,i   -h.u'e,  .it   present    undet  irniiiu  il,   in  the 

con'-titution    of    ilie    I'.i.i/ili.ui    ,md    .\ndiM)-rrru\i,ni    r.ices. 

I  he   prr>riU    i)eopK'>   ol    .Xineiici,  like  those    of    I'.iirope.  ,ire 
t1,..  ; r  ,1,..  :.,. :.. r    i  -i-i.  .    ...        : 


I  he  prr>eiU  i)eopU'>  ol  .Xineiici,  hkr  t  hose  ot  I  .iirope.  ,ire 
the  i->ue  ol  the  interniixtuie  of  sr\er.il  r,ices.  The  cro>-iiii;s 
are  true  niodiric.ilion>  of  fund.mieiit.il  types.  'I'lu'  men  of 
the  ])riniitive  r.ices  h,i\r  re-^isted  ihesi'  niodiiicitions  ;  they 
h.i\r  Hot  yv[  coinpk  t(.l\-  dis,ip])(.',ired.  ,ind  in  ^\n[r  of  \-,iri.i- 
tioii.  Inmi  oiu-  extreme  to  [\\r  dilur,  ,in  .itteiitive  slu(l\-  fre- 
quently enahUs  us  to  reco'jiii/r  a  iiredoinin.int  tx'pe.'^ 

The  explonition  of  the  -lulMie.ips,  which  .ire  \-ery  nume- 
rous <;n  the  co,isls  of  (  )re-on  and  l',iIiforni,i.  have  led  to 
intiM-estin-  results.'  In  ni.in\-  pi. ices  exciwit imis  h.iw  \  icld- 
ed   tlu-   morl,irs  and  putties  s,i  ch.iiMcteristic   of   the  ancient 

'  (Juala-faijcsaUachcs  iiiij.Dit.uRx- to  ilic  f.ui  that  in  ilie  L.ifjoa  S,-inta  skull 
c  VL-rlical  .liamoKT  cxcoLiK  the  iiwxiimim  tian.vcr^c  ili.iniclcr  'I'lii.s  doiihli- 
larrutLT  aKo  recurs  auidii^  livini;  men. 

-    I  V        ,  I  .  - r  _  ,      I  I  ... 


Ih 

fharrutLT  aKo  recurs  auidii^  livini;  nun 

I'c  i^iuatrcf.ii;es  anil    llainy:     "Crania    lahnii.a."      Kohlcr : 
Rati',  of  ilie  U.  S.,"  Cliiiai^i),  iS;-,. 
'  I'   SuluimaclK^r  "  Kuiiorl,  iVahody  .Mu.cum,"  1678.  vol,  II.,  i 


iijif— ■»;!  "^  --•     ■^«»^ 


I'li-^hrs  ail 

'i-iljit. lilts 

Ih-  .uKIs, 

^\  'lii-h  i-.ii, 

"t-'i'iirrin^r 
•ii'iiii;-  II). 

t'Xllil). 
ninll     iiMt 

'     .\-rtii 
1,,!).,  tl,,, 


n 


ad  fmiiui 
slion  >  (if 

s.  and  III 
.d)ly  mil. 

d.   ill  the 
II    r.ncs, 

.Tossinqs 
nirii  (if 
s;  tlicy 
>(  \ai-ia- 
iid\-  tie 

■'  niinic- 
Icd    to 
(.■  yii'ld- 
.iiu-ii'iit 


llt.l    skull 
i''  (louMr 

i-'liibtorii: 


/■///;    .1//  ,\-    (I/-  .I.U/.A/C.l. 


481 


inhabitants  of  tlu;  country,  piccrs  of  potl.Tv,  little  steatite 
vasL'S.  i)i])cs,  (lai^i^crs,  knives,  stoiu'  ariDw-iJoints,  (.arvin^s  of 
hard  stonc',  and  hoiu-  or  shell  iiiiplciiKiit^.  In  n\\c  (,f  these 
■  lu  ll-hraps,  in  the  midst  of  nihhish  of  all  sorts,  were  picked 
lip  tliirt)'  skulls,  in  a  prett\- j.;<)od  stati'  of  preservation,  and 
tu'i  "f  three  ne.irl)'  coniph'te  .sktietoiis. 

I'll.'  Klaiid  of  Santa  ("ataliiia  contains  a  steatite  ijiiarrN-, 
tlu  import. nice  of  which  is  .ittisted  In-  the  iiiimher  of  vases, 
pot ■^,  and  pl.ites  in  everv  stai;e  of  fal)rication.  In  the  (|uarrv 
la>-  lifty  sknlls,  which  had  beloiv^ud  to  these  ancient  work- 
men. 'rwent_\--nine  were  in  a  st.ite  to  ije  iii' asiired ;  the 
capacitv  of  oiu-  of  them  u  as  vei")- ^real,  amoui.liiiL;  to  1680 
{..c.;  hut  this  was  an  isol.ited  c.isi'  ;  the  .u'er.'.^e  i'^  low,  hcin"' 
oiilv  I ^J^)  c.c.  for  the  mali'  skulls  and  \2~()  c.c.  for  the  female 
skulls. 

I'lie  skulls  taken  from  the  shell-heaps  of  i'"loriila,  v.  liich  latter 
con->i>t  chielly  of  fre^h-water  shells,  ;;i\e  .1  soiiiewh.it  higher 
.i\  iMML^e  (  1375  C.C.I.  'l"lie)'are  of  remark. ihle  thickness,  re.uli- 
ini;  ne.u'JN-  half  an  inch,  and  oiu'  of  these  skulls  weighs  no 
le.-»  tli.ui  995  i^ranimes,  .1  weij^ht  rarely  reached  by  fossil 
skulls.' 

K.ire  as  are  still  the  bones,  especially  the  skulls,  of  the 
Moiuul  Huilders  which  ha\e  been  c.uefullv  ex  iniined,  either 
from  the  i)oint  of  \iew  of  their  structure,  or  that  of  the 
de|)  isit  in  which  they  were  discovered,  we  are  alread)' able 
to  istablish  certain  L;ener.il  char.icteristics,  such  as  the  small 
lu'i_L;lit  and  capacil_\-  of  the  skull,  the  obliciuil)'  of  the  y.y'j;n. 
malic  arch,  ikitti'nin;^  of  the  tii)i.i,  and  perforation  of  the 
huuu  ru>.  These  characteristics  are  nut  with  in  most  skele- 
toned (if  tlu'  so-calleil  Mound  Builders,  ami  they  may  even 
help  us  to  ilislinjj;uish  between  their  bones  and  those  of  the 
more  modern  Indians,  who  nftin  .ippropriate  for  their  own 
dead  the'  tombs  of  tho^e  who  preceded  theiii. 

In  s.uiii"-  111, it  ihchc  are  the  ijeiieral  chanicteristics  of  the 
more  ancient  bones  found  in  the  mouiuU.  we  do  not  jiretend 


'  "  Ke|)url,    i'cilxKly  .MuM-iim."   1S71. 


;3.     I'li-tcr : 


I5'). 


I'"      ■ 


I   I 


»      : 


i\ 


t 


J 


•<' 


48: 


/'/.•/■ -///.s /■( 'A'/(  •  ./.I//  A7(-/. 


F. ; 


to  (It'in*  tin-  f\i-;ti'iur  ■'!'  mmuTiui--  iNCi'ptioii'^.      Nuuiiirc, 
citlur  in  tlir  <  >1'1  "r  New  WmiM.  iIk  wc   Ir.ul   cN.ictl)-  siiinl.ir 
furms,  or  al)>olutrly  typii'.il   i.ui.il  i  h.iiM(.'tiii-,ti(.-i.       |-^.\ccs. 
sivi"  varii'ty  i-;  tli--    L;riur.il   l.iw,   wliiili    still    n-m.iiiis  iitu\. 
lil.iiiii'*!.     <  )i)('    "t    tin-    in<)--t    .iiuiiiit    skulU   wliiih   i.m    In 
attributril  to  tiu'  nioimil  iniidd  w  as  (li-,i.i  i\  (ird  iti  the  lounty 
of  NfU   Mailritl.  Mi^-omi,  uiuli  r  a  lunuinl  w  liiili  lontaiiud 
nuiiuToiis  human   trin.iiii--.      Ihi-,   sKull    lay  at   a   drptli   nf 
aljoiit  tliirt)'  fri't  .md  Iroin  tlir  niouiid   lo-c  \rni  raiilr  tins. 
the  otTspriiiL;  of  a   \  rt    niorr  .iiu'IlmU    foiist.   lor  thi  ir  lucits 
chispi-d   tlu'   old    trunks    of    tluir    prtdcirsmifs.     Sinic    tin- 
erection   of   this   mound,   tlu     M  i-^i-sippi    had    aii  innulalr.l 
alluvial  tleposits  to   thr    lui;.',ht    of   six   firt.      Ni  ar  1)\    was 
jiickcil  up.  utuK'r  idcnlKMl  londitions.  iIk'  tooth  "i  a  m.isto. 
don.      I-AiiA' thiiv^  ])oims  to  till'  (.omlu-ion  that  thr  oriv,dnal 
owiur  of  this  tooth  was  thr  conliinijorary  lA  the  m.iti  with 
w  hom  I'hancr  h.ul  associated  him  in  a  eonniion    totid).      if  a 
sini^le  i)roof  i-,  not  ruoujh  to  justif)'  a  hrlii  f  in  the  rxtrcinc 
anii<piity  of  thisskull.it  uoidd   snin   that   tlu-  total   of  tlu 
proofs  \\L' |^i\c  will  III, d)le  us  to  .i--srrt    it  with   sonKthini;  oi 
contulence.     \\"c   still    he-it. ite.  how  r\ii- :    for   not  onl\'  is  it 
sin, ill  ,ind  o\-.il,  ditTiaiiiL;  lilllr  from  mod.rn  skull-,  hul  .^w.il- 
low ,  in  i;i\itV4-   an   .ucount  of  tlusc  f,uls  to  tlu-   Aiiuricui 
Association    for    tlu-    .\d\  ,nu  emmt     of     Scirncc'    .iddrd    ,i 
description  of  .m  c-.\c,i\,ilion  under  his  own   snper\i-ion   in  .i 
nci;^ht)orini,f  mouiul.  which  lu-  cl.iinis  to  he  of  tlu-  s.une  pcri- 
oil.     .SL-\cr.d   l)odi(-s  h,id   hri-n   drpo-itrd    in   this   sc-pulchre. 
tlu-   hones  wcri:   decomposed,  ,md    onl\-  ,i    few    little  he, ips   of 
i;r.i)-  dust  rem, lined,  l.ist  relics  of   ni,m.      <  )n  the  other  h.iiul 
Were  picked   up  numerous  fra;4ments  of   poiter\'.  and  xascs 
orn.'mcnted  with  drawiiu^s  representing  he, ids.  busts,  some- 
times the  eiitirv- bodies  of  nun  ,md  Women,      These  tV^ures 
arc-   of    an   elev.ited   t\pe,   too   little    in    harmon\-   with    tlu- 
anticpiity  claimed  for  the  momul. 

In  othc-r  places  wc  come  to  opjjosite  conclusions.    In  1S72 
Fuster'  called  attention  to  the  n-semblance  uf  certain  skulls 

'"Report,  Am.  .\ss(ic.,"  I'Diilaiid,  iSjj,  ji.  .103. 
'"IsLport,  Am,  .Vbsoc,"  I)ul)U(|ui.-,  l.i\v;i,  is^a. 


Till:    MI.X  oi'   AMLKICA. 


N"uii,rc, 

"IS    l!IU\. 
1     I. Ill      I), 

''■  i"tmt\- 
"iit.iiiud 

Irpth    uf 
Mr  tl-iis, 

\X      IcMltS 

llUf     till' 
IIIllll,llr,| 
"■    l>\     U.IS 

a   in.isto. 
>•  '•i'!:.;in,il 

111. Ill    will) 

iil>.      Il   ,1 
'  <\ti\iiif 

t.ll     «'f    the 

itliiiiL;  I'f 

"Illy  i-,   it 

l>ut  Sw.il- 

\iiiLn\.Mi) 

.iddid    ,1 

i-i< 'II   in  ,1 

■line  prii- 

ipuKliri'. 

Iu-,1|)>  ,.| 
ll<-T    ll.llUl 

111(1  \a.sLS 
Is,  sonic- 
L'  (li^aiivs 
vith    tliL' 

In  IS; J 
in  skull> 


4S3 


fdiiiul  lUMi-  Cliica^o.  at  Mir.. in,  Indiana,  and  , it  l)ul)U(|uc. 
Imu.i,  'riii>  rcscniblaiK-f  alsii  exists  Ixtuivn  tlif  uiaiKnis. 
l-Miti'iy.  and  (.inanu'iits.  as  uril  .is  in  the  c-,iiiliu,,ik-,,  .nul 
iiisiiriis  us  in  iltiidiii-  (,n  till'  idiiitit)-  of  tin;  popiil.itioi)  ,,f 
tin  sc  i-i'Ljinus.  i  lu'  Ix.iu  s  prcsciil  tlu'  ch.iraiti  ristics  \w  .in- 
ill  llu'  li.ihit  nf  lookini;  u|)<ni  as  InldivjjnL;  to  infiiidr  racis. 
Thus  tlici'x.iiniii.itinn  of  .1  skull  found  ,it  I  )iil)iii|iic,  tli.it  of 
aiiotlu  T  (if  finin  himliitli  iiK.iind,  Illinois  ifiL^.  2()S,  />i,  u  ith 
the  study  of  nunurous  ciMiiial  tr,i;4iiunts  found  ,it  Mrn.m,' 
and  at  (.'liicaL;.!.  show  tlu-  well-known  (.•har,u-t(  listics  of  tiic 
\c.iiuKTtIi.ir'  skull  (■^l.L,^  _^()S,  Tt.  one  of  the  luwcsl  of  those 
whiili  (■.\i.,iv.itions  h.nc  yielded  in  I.uropc. 

'riu'sc    .ire    not    e\n  pt  ioiial    f.iils;    the    >kull     found    at 
Stiiiipson's  nioiiiid  di-.  juS.  D)  reminds   us  nf  that  of    Hor- 

A 


M 


!■  Ki.  2i)^. —  /,  I '.uiiipcui  >kull.     /■',  Stiiii|i^..ir>  ninuiiil  skull.   ( ',  TIk;  Ni--aii(lcr- 
lii.il  --Lull.      D^  Duiilciili  iiumiul  ^kiiU.     /.,  .skull  ufCiiimp.'iiijici;. 

rel>}'.  the  de^.n'.ided  t_\  pe  of  uhich  is  (.'elehiMted  :  those  from 
Keimicott  nioiind  .ire  also  clKirai-ieri/ed  li)-  .1  wry  low  fnrc- 
li(  .id.  TIk-  skull  of  ,111  inf.iiit,'  ,is  f.ir  .is  i.aii  be  ilcteriniiu d, 
lor  it  is  \-ery  incomplete,  is  still  str.iiv^er,  tor  it  rcseiiihles, 
more  than  .in_\-  other  known  skull,  those  of  the  anthropoid 
apes. 

'  It  i^  .iiily  fair  lc>  adil  that  oilier  skulls,  fnuiul  iie.ir  Mcnmi.  :iic  -A  a  Mipciior 
lyiH'  ;  liul  llii'\-  wiTL-  takiM  liuiii  sIoir.  graves,  the  \vall>  .'f  wliicli  aro  fiiniuMl  .if 
very  thill  Ml.ih.s  (if  >lime,  Cdvcrcd  in  wilii  tlal  stones,  it  i.>  [iiuliahle  that  these 
sejiulehres  are  those  of  a  Liter  jierioil. 

■  "  i.es  Premiers  Iloiiiiues  et  les  'I'eiiips  prehistnriiiites,"  vol.  1.,  p.  141), 
'  'riiis  skullwas  kept  in  the  Ciilleetioiis  of  the  Ae.ideinyef  Sciences  at  Chicaijo. 
It  was  destroyed  in  tlie  great  (ire  of  1S71. 


!i 


\\ 


^     1' 


t 


\3 


rfHT 


W\   i 


ii::|: 


y 


/  ,yi 


I 

\ 


til    ! 


i 


I 


4S4 


/'A-/:.///STOAW('  AMKR/C.I. 


The  same  facts  are  estahlislied  in  Missouri.  Two  crania 
were  t.iken  from  a  regular  sepulchre,  iiiuler  a  niouml  tliat 
had  not  been  (iistii'bed.  The  forehead  in  these  crania  is 
low.  the  lu-ad  Oat  (fisj;.  209).  whilst  other  skulls  found  hencath 
the  same  mound  are  not  oi  this  t>pe.  The  explorers  at  first 
made  the  mist. ike  of  attributing;  the  former  to  a  secondary 
burial  '  ;  but  ca-eful  examination  proved  that  all  the  hones 
ilated  from  the  s.une  periotl.  Similar  vases  had  been  pi. iced 
in  similar  positions  with  e.ich  l)ody,  and  the  mountl  had 
been  erected  after  the  buri.d  of  all  the  bodies,  that  these  cx- 
cavati.ins  were  to  brin;^^  to  liLjht. 

A  skull  obtained  from  .1  mountl  in  Dakota'  h.is  also  a  very 
retreatiuL;  foreluail,  orbits  nearly  as  prominent  as  those  of 


\ 


i\ 


V. 

i 


■A  4. 


Fio.  200. — Fragmem  of  a  -.kull  fron    '^tissouri. 

the  lonc;-armetl  ape.  and  a  i)ronounced  proLjnathisni  ;  the 
jaw  is  m.issive,  and  in  contrast  with  these  inferior  character- 
istics the  no<e  i>  aqui''n(.'  and  well  formed.  Skulls  of  an 
ancdoL;dus  t\pi'  have  breii  foinul  in  certain  sepulchres  of 
Chihuahua,  where  tin  Ixidies  were  not  stretclietl  out  hori- 
zontally, but  seated  in  a  sli-htly  stoopin-j;  posture.  The 
most  ancient  skulls  of  Ohio  Ikivc  also  this  retreatin^^  forehead, 
and  Dr.  Lapham  nuntinn-,  two  skulls,  preserved  in  the  Mil- 
waukee Museum,  with  low  forehe.ul  and  prominent  brows. 
The  doctor  looks  upon  these  a>  typical  characteristics  of  the 

'  <:onanl  :    "  FocitpriiUs  (if  V.uiiaied  Races,"  p.  lof). 

'  A  porpcnaicuhu  line  traced  frM,n  tlu-  lower  jaw  to  the  level  of  tlu-  top  of  llie 
skull  wouUl  pa>s  about  two  ;llcllc^  from  the  foreheail.  .Short  :  "  Nortli  Ameri- 
cnns  .,f  Antiquity,"  pp.  isS,  i(,7.  Thi>  skull  was  discovered  by  General  II. 
W.  Thomas. 


[{ 


•I  « 


,1,,  ' 


/ 


b      ■*•►••- 


I 


THE   MEN  OF  AMEKICA. 


485 


Two  crania 

iiDuiiii  that 

sc  c-rania  is 

"ci  IxMicath 

icrs  at  first 

■'^(■■coiiclary 

till'  1)1  mcs 

HTii  placed 

Hound   hatl 

It  tlicsc  c.v 

;iIso  a  very 
IS  those  of 


thisin  ;  the 
■  character 
nils  of  an 
nilchres  of 
1  out  hori- 
urc.  The 
i"  forehead. 
1  the  Mil- 
■nt  brows. 
tics  of  the 


hf  top  of  ilu- 
Corth  Aineri- 
•  General  11. 


ancient  races  of  Wisconsin,  characteristics  subsequently 
modified  either  by  crossini;  with  a  superior  race  or  perhaps 
b\'  the  profjress  of  the  primitive  race  itself. 

The  prominence  of  the  brows  is  no  less  c\acj<reratcd 
in  two  skulls,  one  from  a  mound  in  the  Mississippi  Valle),' 
the  other  fro;  .  .1  tumulus  in  Tennessee.'  The  teeth  of  the 
latter  are  worn  and  several  of  them  show  traces  of  decay. 
The  head  is  in  every  case  depressed  on  the  ri^ht  side,  [)robably 
from  the  pressure  of  the  superincumbent  earth  after  burial. 

We  have  already  spoken  of  the  mounds  erected  in  the 
rec;ion  of  the  Great  Lakes,  and  we  have  saitl  that  thev  were 
the  work  of  a  people  that  had  covered  the  valle_\s  of  the 
Ohio  and  IMississippi  with  earthworks."  We  nia\-  mention 
the  i^^reat  mound  of  the  Red  River,  in  which  were  found  the 
frai^meiits  of  a  skull  in  a  bad  state  of  preservation,  reminil- 
iti;;,- "  .  in  its  massive  proportions,  of  that  of  Xeainlerthal ; 
.iiul  a  circular  niouiul  near  tlie  Detroit  River,  which  hitter 
yielded  eleven  skeletons,  anil  besides  them  sepulchral  \,ises, 
hatchets,  arre  w-points.  sci.-^>ors.  stone  drills,  pipes,  ,ind  shell 
orn.iments.  The  skulls  are  mostl\'  in  bail  condition.  One 
from  Circular  mound  h.is  a  cr.mial  index  (if  74.1.  one  from 
Western  mound  of  ~('>.~,  and  another  from  I'ort  Waxiic 
of  ".},.  ()b)ects  were  also  obtained  made  of  copper  which 
doubtless  came  frt)m  Lake  Superior,  a  needle  several  inches 
lon;^'.  antl  a  collar  nuule  of  seeds,  threaeled  on  a  conl  nianu- 
f.ictured  i)Ut  of  the  ilbres  of  bark.  Diil  all  these  objects 
form  part  of  the  furniture  of  the  tomb  ■'  We  are  justifietl 
in  iK)ubtinL;[  it.  \ox  the  cinders  of  .1  he. nth  were  also  dis- 
coveretl.  and  we  ma}-  presume  that  the  h.ibitation  of  the  li\- 
in<j[  had  succeeded  the  last  abode  of  the  dead.  'I'his  h.ibita- 
tion must  have  been  very  ancient,  for  thei)reseiu  inhabitants 
of  the  country  remember  to  have  seen  the  mound  coveretl 
with  venerable  trees,  which  ha\-e  now  disappe.ired. 

^American  Antii/nariiin,  July.  1870. 

"Jones:   "  Exnlorations    of    Alionginal    Kcniaiii>  of    Tonnessee,"  "  Smith 
Com.,"  vol.  XXII. 

'C.illniaii  :  "The  Ancient  Men  of  the  Cire.U  l.ukc.^,"  Am.  Ass.,  Petroit. 
1S75.    "  Con^.  lie-.  Am.,"   I.UAeinbour;;,  1S77,  j).  05. 


M 


J 


t  / 


486 


/•A7;-///.v roA'/c '  ami: RICA . 


I  i 


m 


I 


1^ 


% 


V 

\     '• 
I 


!'.' 


\\ 


\\ 


% 


A 


One  of  the  skulls  Cound  in  these   last  excavations  and 
dcpusitcd  in  the  I'c.ibod)-  Museum  presents  inii)orlant  pcculj- 
arities.      It  is  sini^ularh'  low  and  lon^^,  and  althouj^h  adult, 
for  the  sai;ittal  suture  is  united,  its  eapacity  seareely  anidiuits 
to    fifty-six   eubic   inclus,  or   nine    hundred  and    scwiitrcii 
eubie  centimetres.      AeeordiiiL;  ti>  Morton's  tables  the  nuaii 
ea|)acit>-  of  an  Indian  skull   is  ei_L;lU\--four  cid)ie  inches.  ,uul 
the  minimum  ca[)acity  t)bserveii   by   that   eminent  antliid- 
poloj:jist    was   si\t}--nine   cubic    indies.      Tlie    difference   is 
decidttl.  and  this  skull   if  normal    is   certainly  one    of   the 
smallest  known.      .Another  peculiarity  is  no  less  important  : 


1 


Fig.  210. — Skull  from  a  mound  in 
'i'LiuK~ieL-. 


xy;^|lo^ 


Kir,.  211.      Skull  from  a  niouml  in 
Mi3>t)un. 


the  distance  between  the  temporal  crests  on  either  side 
of  the  frontal  bone  nearl\-  alwaxs  \aries  between  three  and 
four  inches.  The  minimum  known  at  the  present  da)-  i-- 
two  inches,  and  ye't  in  the  Detroit  skull  it  is  not  more  than 
three  fourths  of  .m  inch.  Thi^  i>  doubtless  a  ver\- prcaiounced 
Simian  character,  such  as  is  met  with  in  tlie  chimpanzee, 
for  example.  Professor  \\')-man,  who  carefull)-  examined 
this  skull,  asserts  that  it  has  not  been  subiected  to  an\- 
artificial  deformation.  Here  then  we  have  a  curious  fact  ; 
but  it  impossible  to  come  to  any  serious  conclusion  from  a 
ease    of    such    extreme    vari.it ion,    a     variation    which     is 


•It ion ^  and 
tam  prculi. 

I'.^Ii  adult, 

y  'inidunts 

■^L'wntccii 
■'^  tlu'  niiMn 

'H'lio,  aiul 
■lit   antliKi. 

•.'ifncc  is 
"ic    (if   the 

iiixirtaiit  : 


:>  nidiinil  in 

ithcr    side 
liree  and 
It   day   is 
lore  than 
'•nouiuH'd 
ni])aiiZLi\ 
'xainincd 
I    to    any 
JUS  fact  ; 
1   from  a 
\hlch     is 


7V/C   J//:.V   OF  AMERICA. 


487 


probably  individual,  for  it  is  not  met  with  in  anv  of  ihe 
other  skulls  from  the  same  source.' 

Thout^h  most  of  the  skulls  which  can  be  attributed  with 
an)-  certainty  to  the  so-called  Mound  Builders  are  short  or 
l)rach)-ceplialic.  there  are  numerous  exceptions;  and  often 
beneath  the  same  mound  ha\e  been  found  skulls  which 
appear  to  date  trom  the  same  period,  yet  which  present  dif- 
ferent forms;  numerous  e.\ca\alions  ha\e  established  similar 
facts  in  the  Old  World,  which  naturall)-  lessens  the  impor- 
tance that  one  is  disposed  to  attribute  to  mere  form. 

A  few  examples  will  better  elucidate  the  questions. 
Putnam  ■  mentions  two  .skulls,  one  brachycepluilic  and  the 
other  dolichocephalic.  l\i!i  >,  in  the  sante  tomb.  Of  eight 
skulls  from  the  tjreat  Ketl  Ri\er  niounil.  three  onlv  are 
brachyceph.dic.  ( )n  the  other  hand,  of  four  found  on 
Llhunbers"  Islaiul,  Wisconsin,  three  are  decidedl)-  brachy- 
ceph.dic. Ten  skulls  ha\e  been  found  untler  the  sepulchral 
mound  at  i'"ort  W'.iyne,  of  which  one  is  Ioul;,  or  dolicho- 
ceplialic,  while  the  others  .uv  medium,  or  orthocephalic,  or 
e\en  l)nich)'cephalic,  with  a  cepludic  index  varyin;^"  from 
se\ent\'-seven  to  ei_L;ht}'-tw  o  in  those  that  it  has  been  po.ssi- 
ble  to  measure.  The  foreheatl  is  retreating,  the  eyebrows 
are  prominent,  and  the  bone  is  of  axer.ige  thickness.  These 
characteristics  are  met  with  in  .dl  the  skulls,  although  in  this 
c.ise  the  interment  appe.irs  to  thite  from  different  periods, 
in  Michigan,  the  skulls  found  under  the  mounds  are  dolicho- 
ce|)h.dic,  and  the  tibia-  platycnemic.'' 

1  )r.  {'".u'ciuharson  '  h.is  examined  tuentx-ihe  skulls  ob- 
t.diU'd  frcun  dilTerenl  mounds;  the  average  ceph.dic  imlex 
w.is  73.,'^,  or  in  other  words  the  form  is  slightly  dolicho- 
ceph.ilic.  (.'arr  exanuned  sixt_\--se\en  skulls  from  the  stone 
graves  of  Tennessee,  nf  which  inneteen  .ue  brach\xephalic, 

'  "  Report,  reaboily  Museum,"  1S73,  \\  u.    "  Kepoii,  Am.  .Usoc,"  Buffalo, 

■  ••  Rcporl,  reabocly  Museum,"  1S7S,  vol.  II.,  [i.  310. 
■'  Ihiblwrd  :    "  Am.  AiU.,"  M;uch,  :SSo. 

*  "  Observation^  on  the  Cninia  from  ilie  Stone  tirave.;  in  Tennessee."  "  Re- 
port, I'eabuily  .Museum."  vol.   11.,  p.   V''. 


f    • 


W 


J     .- 


J 


.^' 


I  1 


l..il- 


•/ 

'1 

i 

,    ,^' 

h 

1 

< 

1  i 

!  i  '■ 


f 


^' 


.'i 


488 


PRE-lllS  TORIC  AM  URIC  A . 


five  only  dolichoccplKilic.  ci^htei'ii  (irtlu)i.ii)h.ilic,  and  nturii 
artificially  dcijrcssctl.'  Jones,  afl(..'r  the  cxaniinalinii  of 
twenty-one  skulls,  also  found  in  the  stone  L;raves  of  Tenius- 
see,  obtainetl  a  somewhat  ditferent  result,  lie  found  iki 
dolichocephalic  skull,  hut  five  were  orthocephalic,  ei-lit 
brachxceph.ilic,  and  eiL;ht  artifiei.dly  deformed  ifi;^.  Jio). 

In  Missouri  two  catei^ories  of  skulls  ha\e  been  autheiui- 
cated,  differiuL,'  iis  much  from  each  other  .is  do  those,  for  m- 
stcUice.  of  the  Caucasian  and  the  \e;^ro  races.'  The  skele- 
tons are  in  the  same  position.  X'ases.  weai)ons,  and  imple- 
ments of  the  same  kind  have  been  pi. iced  .dike  ni'.ir  buth, 
and  it  is  difiicult  to  suppose  that  they  do  not  beloui;  to  the 
same  race,  or  that  the\-  do  not  d.ite  fr(un  the  sanu'  ])erio(.l. 

Individual  \ari.itions  are  consider.d)!e.  The  skull  of  a 
child  from  Alacama  is  mentioned,  in  which  tlu;  cephalic 
imlex  is  t)iil)'6();  .md  another,  found  under  a  mound  ot 
Alabam.i,  in  which  it  reache>  iii.S.  l'",.\cept,  ]>erhap>.  in 
such  extreme  cases.'  the  same  f.icts  cm  be  .uit hentic.ited  in 
Murope  during;  pre-historic  times,  and  h.ive  been  perpetuated 
to  our  own  day.  Must  we  look  upon  this  .is  the  result  of  a 
vcr)' ancient  admixture  of  races,  as  examples  of  at a\' ism.  or  can 
it  be  that  the  moik-  t.f  life  and  ilifferences  of  the  occupation, 
prolouLjed  durinL,^  centuries,  have  exercised  such  inlluence? 
\\  hataver  ma}-  be  the  c.iuse  uf  these  modifications,  it  is  cer- 
tain that  the\-  exist,  .md  we  must  not  f.iil  to  rect>;4ni/e  that, 
in  takiuL;-  the  shape  of  the  skull  as  ch.iiacteristic  of  a  race, 
we  obtain  results  as  unsatisfactor\-  in  the  Xew  .is  in  the  OKI 
World. 

We  are  far  from  accepting;  the  theory  of  Morton  '  who 
const;intl\-  proclaimeil  a  uuit\-  of  physical  t\-i)e  amon.^st  all 
the  inhabitants  of  the  two  Americas,  with  the  sole  exception 

Recent  Explorations  uf  Mounds  mar  Davenport,  Iowa."      "  Report,  Am. 
Assoc,"  Detroit,  1S75. 
'■"Conant  ;  "  Footprints  of  V.inished  Races." 

^  "  In  no  part  of  the  world,"  said  Ket/.ius,  "  does  cranial  morphology  prescni 
differences  more  marked  or  extreme-,  more  ex.aijt;erated."  "  Kthnol.  .Schriften," 
I'P-  37.  08. 

Crania  Americana  ;  or,  A  Comparative  View  of  the  Skulls  of  Various  Al.o- 
rigin.il  Nations  of  North  and  .South  America,"  I'hiladelphia,  1839. 


rious  Abo- 


Tiri:    Mi:\    Of  AMEh/CA. 


if  the  Eskimo.'     To  liiin  tlic  lout;  skulls  of  the  P 


489 


no 


t  differ   from   the  round  ones  of  the  Ind 


cruviiuis  do 
lans,  except  on 


,n.\x>unt  of  the  pressure  to  which  the)-  were  subjected  d 
infiincv,  ;uul  the  result  of  which 


urui!. 


would  liave  been  to  niodifv 


the  i)rimitive  form.  He  adds  that  amongst  all  those  races 
ihe  same  mode  of  burial  was  adopted,  and  thai  from  Canada 
l(j  I'atat^onia  the  dead  were  placed  in  a  sittinj;  posture.  \Vc 
have  already  shown  how  little  foundation  there  is  for  this 
latter  assertion.     The  first,  thouL;h  it  had  been  accepted  by 


such  sav 
also   now 


ants   as   Agassi/.,   Nott,  Meic 


;s.  and  main-  others,  is 


■neralh'   abandoned. 


nul   nnportant  discoveries 


are  ever\'  cla\'  reiuU.'rni', 


its  further  defence  impossible. 


The  form  of  the  skull  can  ha\e,  h 


owever, 


but 


;i  verv  tjcn- 


er 


raiized  value.     We  find  among  the  Ivskimo  such  extremes 
if  leiiL^th  as  199  and    165  mm.,  with   res])ective  breadths  of 
~  and  144  mm.,  which  is  sufficient  to  show  that  great  caii- 


.V 


tioii  must  be  used  in  'aMierali/.int 


mm  such  cliaracters. 


This  negative  conclusion  is  tlie  onl)-  one  that  can  as  yet 


be     f. 


Th 


iffc 


)f 


)n   between   tin 


De  lormulated.  1  ne  clillerences  ot  opinion  uetween  me 
most  eminent  anthropologists  add  to  the  intrinsic  difficul- 
ties which  are  alreail\-  so  great.  Let  us  take,  tor  example, 
the  Scioto  skull  diseo\-ered  under  a  ninund  near  Chillicothe. 
This  skull,  remarkable  f^r  its  \erlical  .uid  transverse  devel- 
opment, and  for  tlu;  truncated  form  «)f  the  hinder  portion, 
was  long  looked  upi'ii  a^  presenting  the  most  complete  type 
nf  tile  Mound  crania.'  Messrs.  De  (Juatrefages  and  llamy,'' 
in  their  magnificent  work  tell  us  that  "  the  oibits  are  wide 
and  (piadrangular,  the  nose  is  prominent,  the  uppe'r  jaws 
,ire  deep,  heav>-,  massive,  and  slightly  projecting."  Dr. 
Wilson  describes  the  skull  as  decitledly  biacliycei)lialic  ;  ac- 
cording to  him  the  forehead   is  wide  .uid   lofty,  and  the  de- 

"M^jiuilrcfages  and  liainy,  in  the  "Crania  F.tliiiiLa,"  |.hicf  ihe  Kskimo  in 
the  Mongolian  group  because  they  apiiear  to  them,  a>  to  Morton,  more  nearly 
rehiteil  to  the  yellow  type  than  to  the  American.  Tlie  Eskimo  are  generally 
ilolichocephaiic.  ,, 

'Squierand  IXavis  ;    "Anc.  Men.  of  the  Mis>i"i|ri '^■'"^■y'"   "  ^n""''  ^'""'• 
vnl.  1.,  pi.  Xl.Vll.  and  Xl.VIII. 

'  "  Crania  Kthnica,"  ]).  4O4. 


w 


ii 


J 


•   ^.: 


J^'M 


J. 


490 


/'KK-J/IS n )AV(  ■  .  lM/:A'!i  -.1 . 


^  :i': 


*• 


r 


(\ 


:  >\ 


prcssion  noticed  is  artificial.'  Morton  L;ivcs  a  different  de- 
scription, and  Dr.  T'ostcr  looks  upon  the  Scioto  skull  as 
merely  that  of  a  modern  Indian.  These  contradictions  il- 
lustrate the  incon\enience  of  too  absolute  theories  in  the 
present  state  of  science.  An  attempt  is  maile  to  assign  ,ill 
the  skulls  of  one  race  to  a  sini;le  t>-pe.  without  takini(  into 
consideration  the  vast  territory  inhahiti-d  by  that  race,  or 
the  bioloL^ie.d  conditions  under  which  it  li\-ed. 

What  would  appear  to  be  proxi'd  is  the  relatively  small 
cr;uiial  capacit}'  n\  the  Mound  skulls,  which  is  also  a  char.ic- 
ter  found  amon^'  the  wu'ious  li\inL:;  races  of  v\merica,  espe- 
ciall\-  the  Cireeid.uul  I",skimo.  Some  measurements  will 
enable  us  to  judi;e  l)elter  of   this. 


Smircc. 

No. 

)f 

Skulls. 

Mnxiiuuni 

Miniiiium. 

.\veriiKe. 

e.  f. 

c.  c. 

e.  c. 

Skulls  (.■xaiiiincd  liy   l''ariiulKU-.iin 

1; 

13(12 

936 

llSS 

Skulls  cxamiiKil  by  Jones " 

21 

]()(>- 

1 100 

131S 

Tcunes-i.'L'  .Stone  CJiavcs 

3" 

1S25 

10S4 

1341 

Kentucky         .... 

^4 

1540 

1 130 

1313 

Ali)niiv    ..... 

'1 

1540 

1130 

Il(» 

Rnek   River     .... 

I  1 

1^40 

ii3'> 

1205 

Henrv  ('(uiniv 

4 

1540 

1130 

1205 

Santa-Catali;ia  Kl.  Califnrnia 

'   1     '' 

Male 
i'eniale 

KiSo 

i4.=;i 

12S2 
io()8 

1326 
1279 

Sama-Ciu/..  I'alifiiinia'    . 

*   1     ,0 

M 

ale 
•male 

1025 

1  ^  2S 

1144 

l.qS 

1365 
I2I() 

These  averaL;es  are  low,  and  they  appe.ir  still  lower  if  we 
compare  them  with  tliose  obtained  froiii  other  r.iees.  We 
borrow  most  of  the  followiiiL;-  table  from  ,1  \er\-  interesting; 
work  by  Dr.  Topiiiard,  publi>hed  in  the  AVrv^'  d' Aittliropo. 
/(',i:'ii\  |ul\-,    iSSj  : 


'••I'leli.  Man,"  v.il.  jl.,  p.  127.  Cair  has  aUo  [lulili-he.!  in  the  reports  of 
the  I'ealio.ly  Mu>euui  an  exeelleul  article  on  lliis  (juestion  :  "  Observ.itions  on 
llie  Crania  fr..ni  llie  Stone  Craves  of  Tennessee." 

-The  avera^^e  for  the  .skulls  of  men  is  145.^,  for  those  of  women,  1250. 
Jones,  "  Smiths.  Com.,"  vol.  X.\ll. 

"  .Vcconlinj;  to  Morton,  the  .skulls  of  the  In.lian  of  to-day  give  on  an  averajje 
S4  cubic  inches  or  1359  '■■-  '"•.  ""'1  ""I  1  ;>:(',  as  state.l  ijy  Dr.  Wynum. 


II 


^-  ' 


I 


«'l_ 


1 


THE  MEX  OF  AMERICA. 


'H 


No.  i)f  Skulls 
Kxiiinincil. 


Races. 


25 
19 
44 

3H 

65 

125 

49 
88 
f)3 

57 
6(. 

27 
II 
2S 

19 

2S 
2i| 
42 
I  I 

IDI 
42 
25 

21 
21 
21 
21 
21 


WliriK    RACKS. 

Solutri'  ;  palfolithic  period 

Cave  of  the  Dead  Man  ;  iieolilhic  period 

Baye  Cave  

Callic 

Merovini^iaiiN  of  Chelies     , 

Parisians  of  the  r.'th  century 

I  )iiteh  of  Za;ii)dain      .... 

Aiiveri^Miats  of  St.  Nectaire 

Has  liietons  ..... 

I'.axpies  of  Si.   Jean  de  1. 11/, 
i!as(pu's  of  Zaraus,  ( iuipu/coa    . 
Savoyards   .  ..... 

Croats,  Slav,   race        .... 

Corsicans  of  Avapesa,  Hth  century    . 
!  Arabs  ...... 

YKI.IOW    RACES. 
Cliinese       ...... 

Javanese  (coll.  \'rolikl 

Polynesians  ..... 

Laplanders  ..... 

i'.skinio  of  (  ireenland  (Hayes)    . 
lOskinioof  N.  \V.  .\merica  (Dall) 
Aleutians  (Dall)  .... 

HI.ACK    RACKS. 

Hottentots 

Niil)ians      ...... 

Au^traliaiK  .... 

Western  Negroes         .... 

N'ew  Caledonians         .... 


491 


Cnpacily. 


'?25  c.  c. 

1543  " 

14s-,  '. 

'5?2  " 

146;  " 

1449  " 

14(13  " 

■521)  " 

1479  " 

'55''  ■' 

I4'»<)  " 

I4U4  " 

1433  ■• 

1475  ■• 

1447  " 

14S6  c.  c. 

1473  " 

'449  " 

kS?  " 

1250  " 

1401  " 

140.,  " 

i,U7  ^-  >■■ 

1329  " 

1337  " 

1423  " 

1462  " 


\\  f  nuist  dcscciul  \cry  low  in  tlic  luim;ui  scale  to  find 
iMcrs  presenting'  so  .small  a  cranial  capacity  as  the  American 
Indians  of  the  Mound  ])criod. 

.\  \v\\  exceptional  sktiUs  have,  iiowever,  been  found  ;  one 
of  those  from  ;i  stone  o^nive  of  Tennessee  measures  no  less 
than  iSj;  c.  c' ;  it  is  equal,  in  conset[uence,  to  the  skull  of 
Ciivier.  vViiother  skull  is  mentioneil,  also  picked  up  in  a 
stone  ^rave,  whicli  re. idles  K)^)- c.  c.  Dr.  Jones  ])ossesses 
one  in  his  collection  of  l(')SS  c.  c;  the  .\rniy  Medical  ^riiseinn 
.it  \\'ashinc;'ton  another,  discovereti   in    Illinois,  ol  17S5C.  c: 

"  with 
lif- 


and  .Schoolcnift  speaks  of  one  of  1704  c.  c.     Coinparec- 

'  ".jan\'  skull,  which   only  measured  1)36  c.  c..'  these  di 


the    All 

'1,.  Carr:  "  Ob.s.  on  the  Crania  from  the  Stone  Graves  in  Tenne.ssee." 
"  I'eahody  Museuni  Reports,"  vol.  II.,  |).  3S3. 

MVyman  mentions  a  skull  of  capacity  am, ■.antini;  only  to  530  c.  c,  but  it  is 
that  of  a  tnicrocephalic  person. 


\\ 


\\ 


J 


492 


/•A7-.-///.s/('A7C   AMJ  KJC.I. 


I 


') 


I 


III 


fcrcnccs  arc  consi(loral)K-.  Skulls  of  i>\trcmcsizcarc  a  c^rave 
ari;iimLMit  aijainst  the  \.iluc  of  averages;  it  is  evident  tli.it 
thoy  vitiate  all  the  ri-sults  that  imu  he  obtained. 

If  it  remain  pioxed   that   the    dewlopnuiit    of  the  crani.il 
volume  .unon;.;st    the  wu'ious  races  of  tlie  New  World  is  in- 
ferior   to   that    of  other  human   races,   whether    ancient    or 
modern,  except  perhaps  those  who  are  accounted  the  most 
inferior  of  the  s^lohe.  this  may  be  an  anatomical  characteristic 
rather  than    a   ps\  choloL;ical    one,  and    we   must    not  as>unu' 
fnnu  it  that  the  people  were  ..f  inferior  intelli<^ence.     Other 
causes   doubtlos   intluence   the    intellectu.d   worth:   no   oiie 
woidd  dream  of  con'.jiarin;^  the   ancient  Peruvians,  the  most 
atlvanced   people  of    South   America,  with    the    wanderiiii;. 
savage,  and  blood-thir-ty  lndian->of  North  America  ;  yet  the 
avt.raL;e    capacil)'  of    the  skulls  of   the    latti-r   is    \  },y)  c.  c. 
whilst  that  of  the  reru\ians  is  only  IJ50C.  c.      In  L;lanciii;4 
through    the    preceilin;^  table,    it   is  e.is)-    to    see    that    the 
cranial  cap.icit\-  is  not  at  all  in   harmon\-  with   the  value  ot 
the  r.ice,  and  il    from  an  indi\idual   point   of  \iew  the  skulls 
of  l'u\ier  and    Hyron   are  of   lar^^e  capacity,  numbers  of  re- 
mark.d)le   and   e\eii  (if   eminent    men    nn'i^ht    be   mentioned 
who>e  cranial  cip.icily  wm>,  nn  the  contrary,  \ery  small.    The 
skull   of   Dante   scarcel\- exceeds    the   av'era^e,    whilst   three 
skuUsof  unlaiown  men.  taken  from  tin- potti'r's  field  of  P.iris, 
reach  the  maxiniuni.       The  superiority  of  a  jiroijle.  therefore, 
does  not  (K'pend  i  itlur  on  cranial   capacitv  or  (Ui  the  charac- 
teristics of  certain  bones.     It    is  evident    that  other  factors 
enter    into    the    ([uestion.   of    which   we    arc   as    \et    pretty 
iL:;norant. 

The  flattened  [ovm  of  the  shin  bone  or  tibia,  called  platyc- 
nemia,  is  freipientl}-  met  with  .imonL;  the  \arious  American 
races  (ti;4s.  21  J,  J131 :  it  is  .iften  more  pronounced  than  in 
the  ;j,-orilla  or  chimpan/ee.'  Wyman  looks  upon  this  as  a 
distinctive  char.icteristic,  for  under  certain  mounds  it  is  met 
with  in  nearly  .dl  the  tibia  discovered,  and  those  in  which  it 

With  tlK-;c  two  monkeys,  the  nicin  relaiiim  heiwccii  the  two  ili.inicters  isf)/. 
Gillm.in  ;  "Rep,  ,\ni.  .Vssoc,"  Detroit,  1S75,  ]>■  jiO. 


ft -.  ,, — 


Tllh.    MEX   or    AMI-.KICA. 


493 


(Idcs  not  occur  generally  bcK.n;^  to  men  hurictl  later  th.m 
till' erection  of  the  tiinuilus.  l^ul.  althoui^^h  these  pkityeiiemic 
iir  sabrc-bladc-like  til)i;L'  are  eoninion  aiiKnij;-  the  hi"- 
iiiniikeys.  it  does  not  follow  that  we  (ju^ijht  to  look  upon  it 
.1-.  eh.iracteristic  of  iiiferiorit)-.  While  reservin-^-  tiiis  point, 
it  is  certain  that  amon.^f  the  hones  collected  froni  the  momuls 
ol'  Kiiitiicky,  Missouri,  Michiijan,  and  Imliana,  as  also  from 
till'  l'"l(>rid.ishell-heaps,  the  nuniber  r)f  those  in  which  platyc- 
nemia  occurs  nia\'  be  t'stiniated  at  thirt\-  percent.  It  is  no 
K^s  marked  in  a  certain  nundier  of  tibi.e  discovered  in  the 
recesses  of  the  celebrated  M.ininioth  C'ave.' 

riatj'cneinia  is  \-et  more  apjxirent,  and  the  sharp  edirc 
more  pronounced,  in  the  tibi;e  taken  from  the  ^jreat  mound 
of  the  Red  River,  and  in  those  of  I'ort  Wiyne.'   The  tumuli 


I'lr,.  212. — Section  of  .in  ordinary  til)ia 
:U  the  level  of  the  nutrient  foramen. 


Kui.  21). — Section  of  a  platycnemic 
tibia. 


of  the  .St.  Clair  River,  those  erected  near  Lake  Huron,  with 
a  ver\-  ancient  one  situated  on  Chambers'  Inland,  Wisconsin, 
furnish  analot^otis  examples.'  Beneath  all  these  mounds, 
human  rem.tiiis  are  associated  with  stone  implements,  bones 
of  birds  ami  fish,  rude  potter)- and  necklaces  of  teeth  or  little 
bones,  all  objects  attestiiiL;'  a  poorly  develo[)ed  ctilttire. 

On  some  of  these  tibi;e  the  relation  of  the  transverse 
diameter  to  the  antero-pv)sterior  is  onl\'0.4S;  even  this  is 
not  the  extrenu'  limit,  for  in  certain  bones  from  a  mound 


'  "  Koport,  I'eabody  Museum,"  1S75,  p.  49. 
'  Gillman  :   "  Rep.,  Am.  Assoc.,"  lUiffalo,  1S76. 

'"  Re])ort,  Peabody  Museum,"    1S73.     Short:     "  North  -Vinericans  of  .-Vn- 
liquity,"  p.  30. 


:i 


h 


'?',  i 


494 


PKL.nisroKic  .ia//:a7(  a. 


\ 


iKMi"  tile  Detroit  River  it  is  as  low — exceptionally  so,  wc 
nuisl  .1(1(1  -as  0.4^,  and  v\v\\  0.40.  'riuse  tp^ures  are  ic- 
luarkahle,  and  the)'  will  lie  better  mulerstooil  if  ue  eoniparr 
tluni  with  tliioe  i;i\eii  1)_\  liroea  for  the  nM  hmu  nf  (.'rn. 
Mai^noli;  the  relation  between  the  two  dianieti  is,  he  telU 
lis,  is  o.oS,  and  yet  this  is  one  of  the  extreniest  cases  ol  pla- 
tvcneniia  ohserx cd  in  l'"rance. 

l'lat\cneniia.  as  well  as  ihr  eoniiirc-s^ioii  of  the  f  nora, 
which  is  L^enerally  ciin>i(leial)le.  ai'e  pi.'rlia|)>  the  results  nf 
the  trul)-  iininense  el'forts  that  the  ancient  inhabit, mts  of 
America,  bein^;'  without  domestic  .mini, lis,  were  coiidenuied 
III  m.ike.  'l"he_\'  h.id  tn  follow  L;.iine  on  fool,  and  overtake  it 
1))' speed  ;  they  li.id  to  carr\' heavy  lo, ids  across  mountains 
and  m.n'>hes  ;  so  th.U  it  need  ni  it  e,m--e  much  wonder  if  their 
jihy'-icil  cnnlnrmatinu  w.is  alfetted  1)_\-  ^uih  .1  mode  ol  liie. 
Some  an.itnmi-'ts  limk  upon  the->e  .mumalies  .is  ilu  result  "f 
L;re,iler  liberty  in  the  iiio\ement  nf  the  fmit  .iiid  a  mure  con- 
st.int  h.ibit  of  prehension.  l'erh,i|is  w c  (iUL;ht  al.->o  to  take 
into  .icctiuiU  the  kind  of  food  eaten  In"  the>e  popul.it ions, 
wiiieh  in  ciinr--e  of  time  mi;^ht  modify  the  bouy  p.irts.  It 
is,  howr\er,  cert.iinl)-  .m  indication  of  .1  low  t)'pe  of  phx'sic.il 
structure, 

We  h.ue  s.iid  ih,it  the  Ikittenin-'  of  the  tibia  was  much 
more  rare  in  I'.uropr  tlun  in  Ainerici.  It  is  eas\-,  hoWiAcr, 
to  L;i\e  ex.imples  (if  it  .Ml  the  former  continent  ;  l)U>k  '  was 
one  ol  the  first  to  iMtiee  it  in  boius  from  (iil)r,dtar;  C",irter 
IM.ike.-  in  other-  found  in  Wiltshire,  which  d.ite  from  neo- 
lithic times;  Dr.  I'runieres,'  in  numerous  skeletons  from  the 
dei)artiiient  of  l.o/cre,  al^o  (kitini;-  from  the  same  period; 
Ikiron  von  Dubeii,' on  those;  from  Sc.mdin.ivi.i  ;  Inn-lrand.' 
<^a  tibi.i  toimd  .it  Cjich}  ;  llroca,"  on  , mother  from  S,iinle- 
'  "  I'.ull.  Soc.  Anlh.,"  is(j<),  ]..  14S. 


■  "  Journal  (if  the  Anlh.  S.ic.  .>f  l...ndon,"  1S65,  p.  146. 
^  "  ISull,  Soc.  Anlh.,"  1S7.S,  p.  -14. 


'"Ilu;  lilji.i  is  ;ilw.iys  compro^^^.■.l,  ri-scmblini,'  :i  sabre  "("  Cong.  prch.  dc 
Copenha-ue,"  iSo.j,  p.  243).     "  Mai.,"  1869,  p.  544. 
r.uU.  Soc.  Anth.,"  February,  iSfi(). 
iJuU.  Sol-,  .\ntli.."  iS(i6,  p.  64.'. 


i 


THE   MEX  or  AM/:/</C.l. 


495 


S    \ 


•HT  re. 
'"iiiji.iri 

('  1)1,1- 


Su/.innc  (S.irtlic).     Side  hy  sidi.'  uitli  these  s|)ecimeMs  the 
tibi.e  found  hy  Diipoiit  in  the  eaves  of  lUIj^ium,'  with  a  "reat 


lumihiT  o 


f  otll 


ers  datiii'',  to  al 


ippearaiice,  from  paleolithic 


liiiu-s.  ari'  triaiv^ular,  iX'seiiiijliii;^  tiiose  of  niodeiii  I'",uropeai 


liiimeius  has  also  |)ecii  considered 


The  ehar.icteristics,  then,  wliich  have  Ix  en  |)n)posi'd  in  order 
to  differentiate  races  ha\'e  existed  from  the  most  remote  an- 
ti(|uit)',  an<l  ainoiiL,'  tlie  most  varied  peoples;  this  is  without 
doaht  an  important  fact. 
'J'he  perforation  of  tlu 
a  racial  characteristic  I)}-  I  )r.  'Idpiiiard,  altlioir^h  we  are  un- 
able to  s.iy  what  race  or  r.ices.  if  an\',  l)e(|iieatlieil  this  peculi- 
arit)-  to  tlieir  descendants.  It  is  very  fre(jueiUly  noticed  in 
hones  from  the  mounds,  ami  oftt'ii  occurs  upon  half  of  those 
pickt'd  lip.     (loini;'  tow.ird  the  south  this  proportion  dimiii- 


iMle: 


until  it  is  no  more  than  tliirt\'-oiie  percent.     The  1' 


ea- 


Iv   .M 


useuin  contains  n< 


ss  til. Ill  ei;^lil_\-  humeri  found 
e  west,  or  umler  tlioM'  of  l'"lorida, 


i)ene.ith  the  mounds  of  th 

I  if  which   twent\--ri\e  are  nerforati'd  ;  it  also  contains  filty- 


two  humeri  l)elon_L;in_L;-  to  winte  raci 
tlii^  t_\'pic.il   char.icteri>tic  occufs." 


in  oiil\'  two  (J 


f  which 


Side  l)\'  >ide  with  these 
facts,  of  te'U  skeletons  found  at  h'ort  W'avne  but  one  lia>  per- 


foration of  the  olecranon  foss.i. 


h 


is  ( 


lifilcult,  then,  to  e^t.iblish  a  'General 


aw 


it  has  JK-en 


said  that  this  perforation  '  is  .i  characteristic  of  |)hysic.il  m- 
feriorit\-,  which  assertion  is  founded  (Hi  the  fact  that  it  is  of 


mor( 


V  frei|ueiit   occurrence  anion;.;-  the  aiithropdiil  a| 


tliaii 


am'MV''  men,  amoii'''  ne>'roes'  i 


ir  [n(lian>  than  amoii.i;  wluU 


>  ( 


il 


liny 


tells 


vcr,  that  ;i  tibia  from  the  CciyL't  cave  is  \n 


Hull.  Soc.  Anth.,"  1873,  p.  427 
"  "  l-tcport,  rcalioily  .Miisciiiii, 


IS72, 


'  C  oiil: 


Ar.i. 


Ivcnciiuc. 


1  uxcm- 


1S77 


j1.  I. 


!'■ 


.f  il 


'  Which  m.iy  have  been  the  rc^u 
lati 


It  of  the  leiiL'lh  of  liich.'uehiiMleriii- the  play 


le  articulation 


*  Wymaii  has  authenticated  the  perforation  of  the  oici 
of  the  humeri  of  the  two  male  ijorilla^  that  he  was 
not  find  it  on  a  female  chimpanzee,  no 
mi;  to  the  liritish  Museum  ;  the  .Viilhropolo';ical  .'^■'Cic 
gorilla  skeleton,  which  h.as  one  of  tl:e  humeri  perf.H.iI. 

'  Of  fourteen  neijro  humeri  preserve. 


r.uiou 


fossa  oil  1  If.  one 


.il'le  U>  examine. 


Ik-  ilal 


L-ielv  ot 


;4lla!i|,', 
I'ari: 


both  beloi;-- 
,  owns  a  line 


1  111  ilic   lauhii  J' 


i'lautes  jcveii  are 


perforated. 


^4»% 


I   I 


496 


PKK./II.S lOJ</i. ■  AMf-.K/i  A. 


II 

.    J, 


h 


■m 


!     ■    ■) 


k, 


f 


f< 


•I 


,  '1: 


that  its  tcndrncy  is  to  diminish  aiiion;^  thi-  I'limpoan  ran-s, 
ami  th.it  it  is  nioiv  often  nut  witii  in  bones  from  antiriit 
ct-incttiics  than  amoii^'st  our  contemporaries.'  Tliis  conchi- 
sion  apjicars  to  us  still  somewhat  |)ri:inature,  in  the  pre--i  ni 
state  of  aiuhropolo^')'. 

It  li.is  also  been  saiil  that  tile  peopli-  of  the  Mound  ])eri"(! 
had  ver_\- loUL,' arms  ;  this  a^ain  is  called  .1  simian  ch.iracter- 
istic.  (iillman  has,  in  fact,  reci'Utly  sliowii  that  there  is 
nothini;  in  it,  ,it  least  with  rei^ard  to  ilu;  men  buried  under 
the  mound  of  I'nrt  \\'a\-ue,  .iiid  that  estimatiiv^  the  .iver.i;^^ 
stature  at  i.txx)  we  h.i\-e  lii.'  leni;lh  of  the  arm  as  follows: 

In  modern  Indians  .         .         .  353 

Whites 34H 

M<iunil  skeletons  .  .  343 

The  arms  of  the  l.i>t-named,  therefore,  far  from  beini; 
lonj^'er,  were  shorti-r  th.ui  those  of  some  modirn  Iiulians,  or 
white  men.  Hut  it  is  prol),d)le  th.it  the  material  is  still  too 
scanty  f(jr  an\'  positivi-  conclusions. 

Tile  .Mound  peojjle  appe.ir  to  h.ive  varied  as  much  in 
stature  as  our  modern  r.ices.  .A  skeleton  is  mentioned, 
found  in  a  stone  ;^n-ave  of  Tiime'-st'e,  which  measured  more 
than  seven  feet  '  ;  .mother,  discovtred  at  l'"orl  \\'.i>ne,  onl)' 
reaclleil  li\e  feet  eleven  inches,  Two  skeletons,  ■  ine  from 
Ut.ih.  the  other  frMin  MichiL^an,'  exceeded  six  feet.  The 
latter,  enclo-ed  in  .1  re-ular  windini^-slieet  of  clay,  was  n- 
markal)le  for  its  retrt.itin;4  foreheatl  .md  prominence  of  its 
brows.  Hesiile  it  la)-  luu  n  stones  .in<l  fraL;menlsof  potlerw 
ornamented  withlumian  fi-ures.  These  are  i)rob.d)lv  ver\- 
exceptional  cases;  Professor  I'utnam,  who  has  excavated 
with  extreme  care  numerous  sepulchres  in  Tennessee,  is  con- 
vniced   th.it   the   men  who    rested    tin  -e    were  of   ordinary 

'  We  m.-iy  rciiiaik  llial  amuiig^t  iirL-iu>lorii-  i'r<;nch  mci'S  the  perforated 
humeru,  has  been  thought  to  bekmi;  to  anoilie;  ,..<.•  than  that  which  >ho\vs  the 
l-latytncmic-  tibia  and  tiic  femur  with  tlie  -ha.|>  odi;e.  "  Rev.  d'  .Vnth.."  1S7S, 
!■•  514. 

'Jimes:    "  Explorations  c,f  the  .Vbont;inal  Remains  in    I'ennessee,"  "  Smith 
Con:.,"  vol.  XX 11. 

V/w.  .Uiti.jiianaii,  July,  1879. 


:  I 
-I 


t' 


.._ 


/■//A  .\r/:.v  (>/■■  ./.i//,A7c./. 


497 


;iii  r.u-cs, 

|l    .UUhllt 
|'>  t.'">IUll|. 
piv-^i  lit 


[Kl  I'frind 
li.ir.i(.ti.i. 


tlictc  is 
!  imdLT 
avcr.i-c 
I'lluws : 


III  hciiiL; 
idiaiis.  (ij- 
Uill  toi) 


imici 


1   in 


-•ntioiKil, 

I'fd   Millie 

uic  from 
L't.  'nic 
.  w  as    re- 


CC  (I 


f  it.' 


pottery, 
bl\'  vcr\- 
:c.ivatcd 
:,  is  coii- 
inlinary 

perforated 
>lio\vs  tllL- 
h.,"  1S7S, 


Smiih. 


Stature,  aiul  although  lu-  often  iiilI  \\  itii  tombs  made  of  shibs 
iiieasiirin^'  from  sevi-ii  to  eij;bt  feit  loii^',  lie  alw.iys  noticed 
,1  pretty  wiile  sjiaei'  l)ct\\<  iii  tin  In, id  ,,v  [\\v  (cvi  of  the 
(Kad  and  tlie  walls  of  tlie  toiui).'  We  in.i)-  ,idd  that  all  tlie 
>ki.  letoiis  found  in  tlu'  nuiiierons  stone  cists  of  Madiscjii 
idiintN',  Illinoi>,  were  of  small  stature,  and   tliat   tlu'  bones 


W  Cfl' 


reiiiarkabK-  sleiuler. 


W'l-  lia\i'  abiad)'  discribi-d  tli'  lumeroii-.  canons  met  with 
ill  New  i\K'\ico,  Color.ido,  i>r  Ari/oii.i,  and  the  ruins  which 
li-"  wherever  the  rock  has  prcjvidetl  s|).ice,  however  limited 


that   spaci'   ma\'  l)i 


W 


e   possess 


few   b 


.f  t 


jolles  ot   tliese   ilUle- 


lati;,;al)le  builder--,  wliicli  is  iMsil)-  explained  b\'  the  ilifficiil- 
tiis  attendinL,^  excavation^  in  a  coutiti)'  Ntill  imitihabited,  .iiul 
where  explorers  an'  const. uitly  exposed  to  daii;._;er  ffoin  the 


Ai 


)acnes. 


(  )ni.'  skull  is,  howevi'r,  mentioned  from  the  Ch.ico  Cii'ioti. 
New  Mexico.  .XiiioiiL;  the  ancient  .illu\i.il  depo-^its  bearing;' 
witness  to  iirro\ii-,  now  dried  up,  fr,iL;nients  ol  walls  .iiid 
found, itioiis  testif\-   to  the  [)re->eiice  of  .1  fornuil)'  iiiiiiiennis 


ul.ilioii,  ,int 


eiii  ir  perhaps  to  the  .u' 


(T: 


it  w.is    in   the    mid.^t  of  ih 


esc   cU'iJos 


ri\,d  of  tlieClilT  l)w< 

t>,  at  a   depth   of 


.d)oul  fourteen  fei-t,  on  .1   he.ip  of  bri'keii   j)ottef\-.  th.it  tlii> 

l'r.i|),d»l\-  it    had   been    br()lli;llt 


;ull   (  Iil;.    J 141  w.is    tound 


tluwu  |)\-  w.iter,  for  resi'.irches  li,i\e   not  iv^ulted   in  the  dis- 


co\rr\'    o 


f    ,iu\-    other    hum, 111    boiie 


mu>t  we  d.ile  It 


Wit 


1    Wh.lt    IMCl'    IIHI 


i^  .it  present  iiiij  ossible  to  decid 


lont;e(l  to  .1  yoimi;'  woman,  w  lio>e  1,1 
yet  appe.iiiHl. 

It  is  ,is\-nimetric.il,  llu-  forilie,ul  ir.  K-w 
and   ^liL,dltl_\•  proininen!. 
the  n.itliess  of  tlu'   b.ick    p.ul 


I'roiu    what    ])eiiod 
-I  we  CDiinect  it  /     It 
we  oiil)-  kilow  tli.it  it  be- 
,t   1110!. ir  teeth   liad  Hot 


he  iiiii-l  eiirioi;.  c 


the  orbits  ;ire  oval 
iiar.icteiistic  is 


the  iie,i 


I.     This  llatne-^s  is 


no  less  ni.irki'd 


111  tlie  1 


le   p.iriet.il   boiie,-.  .iiid  especia 


ll\-  in  thi 


RL-porl,  IValioily  Mu^ciii 


II.,  1- 


1;. 


rl,   Am.  .\-> 


.St.  I  -i;i-,    i-r''' 


Mh: 


Ci-I  nc.ir  1  liyiil.iiui,  .M.i.li-cii  omniy,  [lliiiui- 
'iJr.  \V.    llclTiinn:     "  k<.i'"rt  on 


the  C'Imh  (■Mi;miM 


'  .-'loiic 


(.1,1.  .uul 


ieoi'.  Suiviv 


W. 


1  \- 


Vl,  I 


498 


rA7:-///S7V/u'i  ■  .■■•  MKK'H '.  / . 


i-l 


'<■) 


I 

i^i 

1 

1 

/ 

.f 


M  ! 


U'ft  parietal.  'I'hr  skull  \\a>  >n  i-(iiu]iK'U'l_\-  I'llKd  with  a^Ljlu. 
tinatcd  >aiul  that  it  had  In  b^'  hiokrii  to  L;i't  tlu'  c\,ict  iiu\is- 
uixniciUs,  SM  th.it  its  (.apacity  lias  riauaimil  inuk'trrmiiuil. 

To  Dr.  liosels  '  w  r  owe  .1  coinpK'tr  lic-si.  riptii  in  nt  srwral 
skulls  recently  (li--en\creil.  w  liieli  may  !)e  attrihuteil  either  to 
the  Cliff  Dwellers  or  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  pueblos. 


Fig.  214— Sk'.:Il  fdun.l  in  ihc  Cliaeo  Cafioii,  and  attrilnUcd  to  tlic  ClilT  DwcUlt. 

Iwo  of  thcni  eaiiiL'  from  .111  ancient  burial-place  near 
Abi([uico,  I  NewMcxicoi.  k'.aeh  tomb  was  surnuuuletl  1)_\- 
piles  of  slone>,  foriniivj,-  now  a  rectangle,  now  a  circle,  .nul 
near  to  lach  bod)-  care  had  been  taken  to  place  numerous 
fra-inents  of  potterw  'I'he  rn->t  of  these  skulls  presents  a 
\-er_\-  marked  llattenin-^  of  the  left  jtarietal,  and  a  less  ajjpar- 
ent  llaltenin;^-  of  the  ri-lil  parietal.  '\'\\c  orbits  arc  promi- 
nent, the  forehead  ir.  not  distinL;uished  b\-  an\-  special  charac- 
teristic, the  lower  jaws  are  massive,  and  the  teetli.  especially 
the  incisors,  slii,ditly  Worn.  The  ea])acit>- is  1335  c.c.  The 
se  id  skull  is  that  of  a  woin.m  of  about  se\-enleen  years  ohl  : 
the  last  molar  teetli  are  be-innini;  to  appear,  the  proj^uia- 
thous^haracter  is  very  much  marked.     The  same  flattcnin.L; 

'"  The  human  remains  fuuml  aniuiij^  the  ancient   ruins  of   S.  W.    Colorado 
anil  New  Mexico,"  p.  47. 


^r--^ 


nil:  MEN  or  AMi.iacA. 


499 


it 


wilh  ,i,--!u. 
''^■ii-'t  Unas- 
(•'■iiiiiud. 

■('  <-'itlicr  to 
icblos. 


<'!ilT  Mwillcr. 

>lacc    lU'ar 
>uiulc(l    I)\ 
ciri'K',  and 

nUIIKTnus 

pri'srnts  a 
ess  ajjpai- 
■  IV  pronii- 
ial  cli.irac- 
cspcciall)- 
c.c.  Tin 
■cais  (lid  : 
L'  prt)^na- 
llattcniiiLJ 


i'.    Coliiradci 


is  noticed  as  on  tiv:  skull  just  described,  only  in  that  of  the 
man  it  is  more  pronounced  on  the  left  side,  and  in  that  of 
the  woman  on  tin:  rii^ht.  The  cajiacity  of  the  latter  is  very 
sni  dl.  .md  does  not  exceed  1020  c.c. 

A  short  time  afterward  Dr.  Hessels  assisted  at  the  reccp- 
linn  for  the  museum  of  the  .Smithsonian  Institution  ui 
numerous  objects  collected  from  the  inouiuls  of  Tennessee.' 
Anionj^st  these  objects  nere  two  skulls  (fi^s.  :2 10,  21 1 1  which 
struck  him  l)\- their  rt'scniMance  to  those  of  New  Mexico. 
Tlii>  resembkuice  is  such,  he  tells  us.  that  it  is  impossible  to 
(liNliiv^ruish  them  from  each  dthi'r. 

We  will  not  dwell  u])nn  the  ullu-r  skulls  of  the  Cliff 
Dwellers  ;  to  do  so  would  be  little  more  th,m  a  monotonous 
repetition.  In  all  we  note  this  characteristic  depression,  now- 
more  marked  <in  the  ri^ht.  now  <>n  the  left;  it  is  cerlainl)' 
.u'tillcial.  and  we  find  it  .dre.uly  \ery  marked  in  the  skull  of 
a  child  of  ten  X'e.u's  nM.  whose  j.iw  also  shows  :i  -^e^sible 
ten<leney  to  ])ro;_;ii,ithi>m.''  In  the  .skull  of  ,1  xouhl;  woman 
oceui's  a  deformation  >imil,ir  to  tli.it  of  the  l'eru\iaiis.  I'he 
orbit-^  are  i)ul  little  prominent,  lln'  forehead  i->  retrealinl,^ 
•  uid  the  teeth  are  \ery  in'e;_;ularl\"  set. 

I  )e  (Jualrefa'.'/'s  ,m<l  1  l.imy,  in  di-^cussinL;  these  discoveries. 
,1(1(1  th.it  then-  can  Ik;  no  doubt  ,i>  to  the  ethnic  identit>-  of 
the  .\biund  Huilders  ,iiul  Cliff  Dweller^:  which  conclusion 
would  extt'iul  to  the  buildei's  of  the  C',l■^as-(l|•,ullle-  of  the 
Uio  (iila,  if  ,ill  presented  the  -,nne  cli.ir.icterislics  as  the  -ub- 
lect  exht'.med  b>-  I'inart,  from  .1  tumulus  near  llie  Lasa- 
(iraiule  of  .Montezuma.' 

The  top  .ilone  of  this  skull,  whk-h  now  beloii-s  to  the 
l'ari>  museum,  is  preserved.  Its  cr.uu'.il  index  is  00.  U'.  '  )ii^' 
of  the  skulls  sent  from  Teul  i)resents  the  same  cephalic 
peculiarities,  except  that  it  is  more  (kittened  fro.u  before 
b.ickward,  anil  that  the  iiulex  excee(.ls  97. 

Mut    although    the  ethnic  characteristics  of  the  ^bumd 


'  "  C'oni,'as  (Ic-i  AmLricani>tcs,"  l.iixciiibniir;.',  ; 
'^  Tliis  held  is   prc-eiveil  in  the  Osteoloi;!.-.!^'"!!'^^'^" 
Il-  (.\ipacity  is  121 ;,  (  .e. 
^  "Crania  Mtliiiii-.i,"  p.  4i)4- 


vol.  i.,  p.  !47. 

,011  of  ihi;  U.  S.  Aniiy. 


'  \ 


\ 


o 


It 


i: 


I  i 


!l 


If 


1  ' 

■  J'  . 


:  4 


.f 


t 

'ill 


500 


/'A7.-///.V7'(MVC  AMERICA. 


crania  arc  met  with  cvi-n  in  distant  rcj;i(-)ns.  the  type  k  nn 
longer  t;eneial.  accunlini;  to  the  learned  authors  of  tlic 
Crania  I'-thnica,  in  tlie  countries  the\-  ])eoplecl,  and  they 
assert  th.it  anioni;  the  niind)i'i-  oi  skulls  of  nioilern  Indians 
))rrsirvcd  in  various  collections,  we  fnul  but  a  few  resemhliiv^f 
tho^-r  of  which  wi'  liave  just  sj)oken.  What  most  cK,ul\- 
would  result  from  thesi'  facts,  were  they  well  authenticatiil, 
is  the  rapitlit)'  with  which  anatomical  modifications  of  ,;  sec- 
ondary order  mii^ht  proci'ed  ;  hence  their  small  import. uicc 
in  fixinL;  with  any  cert.unt}'  tin.'  ch.u"acteristics  of  a  nice,  .nnl 
abow  all  for  follow  iii;,;- successfulK' the  tlevelopment  of  these 
characteristics  throuL;h  t^enerations. 

The  analoj^ies  between  the  Mound  crania  and  those  of  the 
ancient  inhabitants  of  An.ihuac  are  no  less  striking  tli.iii 
those  between  the  fornur  and  the  Cliff  Dwellers.'  \-\)uv 
skulls  from  the  tombs  of  Mexico.  ()tuml).i.  ami  Tacuba.  re- 
l)ro(hice  the  t\pe  of  the  inhabitants  of  X(Ulh  America; 
others  found  at  Santi,iL;-o-'riatelolcoli  admit  of  still  less 
doubt.'  In  all  we  ^ee  the  tlattenin;^'  of  tlie  occiput,  the  re- 
treatini;  forehead,  ;ind  massive  bones,  so  common  amoiii;  the 
Mound  crani.i,  e-^peciall)-  amoiv^st  those  from  the  banks  of 
the  (  )hi(i  and  M  i^^issipj)i. 

AmoiiL^st  the  May.is  this  flatness,  doubtless  tlue  to  arti- 
fici.il  i)re>svu-e,  is  >till  more  .ipp.u'eiit.  This  is  jjroved  b>-tlu 
b.iv-relief>  (if  ralcn(|ue  (ii;^s.  IJ  :;,  IJ41.  The  pointed  head-, 
the  retre.itiiv.;  fureluad-  present ini;  so  strain^e  an  appe.iraiice. 
evident!}-  be.u'  witne--  to  tlu'  {y]K-  most  ,idiiiii\'d  .iinoni; 
them.  Recent  expjiinTN  think  tlie_\-  li.ive  found  this  t\pe 
aninnL;>t  the  inferiMr  tribes  who  dua  1!  in  the  mountains;  but 
it  h.is  disappe.ired.  of  ne\er  existetl.  amoni;  tlie  jjcople  who 
erected  the  moiuiineiits  ,,f  ^'ue,ltan  and  Honduras.  The 
sculptures. ,f  Cliicheii-l t/.a  pre^ent  ,i  t\-pe  ,d)-olutely  iliffereiit 
from  the  prccedin-  (tu;.  135).  ■• -[hv  skull  is  lar-e."'  says 
Cliarnas-,  "(kittened  .it   the  top.' tliou-h   the   foreheail   does 

'  .Morton;  "  Crania  Americ-iiKi,"  ,il.  XIX.,  XXXI.    (Juatrcfages  and  ll.imy 
"Crania  Elhnica,"  p.  466. 

■^  These  skulls  lielon;^  t.,  \.hv  I'ari^  iiiu>cuin. 
•'"  Cite^  el  Kuine^  AmOricaini'-,"  j,.  VU- 


111!) 


'""^"^^^^ 


( 


m 


/■///■:    .]//:X  Of  AMERICA. 


501 


iidt  bullae  out,  but  forms  with  the  atjuil 
straisjht  Hne." 


uic  nose  an  ahnost 


I'hr  artificial  deformation  of  skulls  aninnOTt  the  Peruvians 


iciulcrs  their  study  very  ciirficult  :  this  defonnati 


on  1: 


th 


e  rc- 


su 
f.int 


It   of  niecluinieal   pressure'  on  llu' 


skulls  ot  new-born  ni- 


s;  the  direction,  amount.  ;'.nd  duration  o 


f  th 


IS  pressure. 


all  alike  differin;/  according:  to  circumstances,     (iosse,  in  his 


li--ertations  on    the    races 


)f    1 


eru.  sa\s  that  three 


inds 


of  deform, ition  were  practised  :  tlu'  occipital,  anioni;st  the 
Chinchas,  and,  perhaps,  in  the  family  of  the  liicas;  the 
eloni:[ate(l  symmetrical  deformation,  anioULjst  the  Ajmaras  ; 
while    the    cuneiform    obtained    in   several   provinces,  such 


as 


th.it  of  Chi(pnto.     This  last  i;ave  to  tlu:  head 


a  lonsi  slope 


lop 


tnmi  the  front  to  tin-  bad 


Tl 


ie>e  (k 


till 


formations  were  s 


uncil  of   Lima 


pr.ictised   in    1 545,   and    at    that   tinu'   the   co 
solemni)-  forbade  them  under  the  n.unes  of  Caito,  Opalta, 

the  pni])erty 


am 


O 


ma. 


if  tlu 


■formation. 


In  live  huiulred  sk 
.iris  musi.'um.  scarceb' 


troni 


1 


eru 


.ixt\'  are  i. 


tlu 
llu 


h.lCK. 


.\eiu])t  from  this 
It  occurs  sonu'times  from  the  front  toward 

the  skulls  taken   from 


.as  IS  the  ca>t'  m   nearh'  al 


hua.cas  o 


f  A 


neon.'  while  son 


u'times  it  is  circuhir,  L;ivini 


to    the    head    a    conicil    form.      1" 
f.i-hiiin  if  We  like  to  e.ill  it  so.  soui 


his   \\a^    the   custom,  the 
dit  aftei-  In-  the  Peruvians 


who  iidiidjit 


ed  the  neii'hlxirhood 


Tit 


UMC 


,1  :  this  char- 


acteristic oecurriiiL'  in  lU'ai 


Iv. ill  the -kulls  from  the  Cluilp.i.^ 


A. 


have  alread\-   had  occa 


capacity    was    ver\-    smal 
which  showed  no  tr.ice  o 


,1011   to  rem. irk  the  crani.il 
culls  from  Ancon, 


In    elewn 
fornuitioii.  the  .nera;. 


II    o 


niv 


I  IJ9  c.  c,  the  m.iximum  is  but  iJtX)  c.  c,  a 


nJ  the  minimum 


siid<s  to  10. 


40  c, 


In  otlu'r  parts  of   Peru,  .is  cm   be 


■II   \)\ 


:i\e,   the    results    o 


btaiiu 


are   no    higher, 


the  t,-iblo  we 
and  at   Cliimu 


th 


e  averasje  sin 


ks  evi'ii  lower, 


l)c  (  hiatiefai'cs  and  I  la 


i;^ 


K 


)rt.  I'l 


My  .Ml 


Report,  Pe.ihoily  Musciini, 


■  I'raiiia 
i.'^T".  I' 


Mtliiiii-' 


'p.  -174. 


H[Ul 


Inculonls  of  Travel  .iiul  K.xploiMtiM-i  mUic 


Landof  iiiclni-'a> 


':a 


edition,  London,  1S7S,  [).  ;S: 


\ 


M 


''.*/• 


PKF.-inSTORrC  AM/  /</CA. 


i 


') 


I' I 


Source. 


Cliulji.is  iR'.u  Lake  Tiiicacii 

r,i>iii.i  .         .         .         . 

Ain;u'avik-,i 

I'himu  .  .  .  . 

IVuli.ic.imai- 

('iiiimaniuilLi 

Truxiliii        .  .  .  , 

■renal 


No.  of     I  ,,  ,, 

Skulls,    i  Ma"'""""  Mini"""".  .\vir!i|;c. 


C.    (.' . 

c.  c. 

t" .  (.' . 

(1 

14(5 

1 1  ^  ^ 

1  Ji(2 

14 

•455 

1051) 

•254 

1(1 

I  r^o 

•"55 

1 17I1 

; 

14(10 

10(1? 

IOi)U 

4 

i3'>5 

"M5 

III); 

^ 

1410 

1 1^^ 

I-JdS 

4 

1325 

'IJ5 

12>(. 

56  I4(>i)  1035  I. '12 


;      '. 


\- 


,'1l 


1)1 


1 


!  \  *"  "^' 


Muitoii  iiul  MriL;s  i^ivc  as  the  a\'or,iL;r  lap.K'ily  nf 
I'cniNiaii  >kii!ls  nica>urrd  1)\'  ihrin  \2\,(^  <.  c.  ;  \\r  Imw 
ahiiw  tahul.itfcl  it  at  IJIJC.  c.  '^lu■'^^•  a\'t.'ra_L;\>,  w  liicii  ilo 
nut  (lilirr  scnsil)l\'  trum  tho-M'  <ii  SquiLT.  arc  \ciy  low, 
an<l  (111  not  occur  aL;.iiii  ainoiij_;  aii_\'  kiinw  11  r.ici'.  I  lu'  I'liu- 
\'iaii  ni,L\inia  --circrl}'  ri]ual  the  niiiiiina  o|  dihcr  pcdplc. 
This  is  a  f.ict.  ot  which  uc  ha\c  no  salisfactor)-  L'.Nplana- 
ti  m. 

Ri\cro   and     r-^cinuli  '    rccnt^nizc    three  (lilTcrciit    racr-^   in 

Peru:   tile  I'hincli.i-.  '  iccupyin-  tht    Tacitlc  coa--t  from   U)    to 

l.|    S.  I,at.    ;     tile    .\\  ni.iia-.  e-t.il)li^heil    on    the    h  ifty  t,il)lc- 

huuls  .if    r)iili\-ia;    and    li-^tl_\-  the    llu.mcas,   -.o    nanuii   after 

the   nio>t  ixiwertui   tribe  aninnj^^^t  iheni.  wlio  li\a'd  between 

the  Cortlillera  and   the    Ande^   from  w    to  14    S.  I.al.       The 

authors  (,f  the  A iili^^iini,!,!,  v  IVnidih'S  do  not  achnil  arlifici.il 

delorni,iti.>n  t  xcept  amMn.,;^t  \\\r  C'hincha-^,  and  pretend  that 

anion;^>t  the  other  rair-^  it   is  con-unit, d,  and   th.it    it   exists 

anionL;<t  chiUh-en  who  h,i\e  not  heeii  subjected   to  any  kind 

of  ])re-sure,  and    e\en   anion-M    certain    foetuses.      This  i-o- 

kued  t.ict  Would  not  be  a  jiroof,  f ,  .r  iK-forniations   made  on 

till'  bod_\-  at  the  time  of  the  birth,  as  ( io-^se  obser\es,  ina\-  to 

. I  certain  extent  be  traiismitti'd   liereditarilv.      They  become 

lierni.inent    when    b.itli    mXcs   lia\e    been    Mibjected    to    the 

--aine  detorm.itioiH  to  ,1  simikir  extent,  duriiv^'  man_\-  >ucci's- 

AntlL;ueila(k',   I'liM-uia^." 
Iho  (■liiiini>,  ..f   uhuinwc  havo    -inikcii    in  a  previou-  chaiUcT,  shoul.l   W 
ytn-ol   amnnnsl  ll,r  Chincha-,.      NUyn   C'  Kci^c  um  .lie   Knic  ;     liciUMgc  /uf 
/•■Jii'- :.;ic,"  n.nin,  1-34)  .j.cak.  nf  ilu-m  a-  thr  i.rimi'.iv,-  inhal.ilants  of  rcni. 


vfl 


Till-:   MEX   OF  AMERICA. 


503 


Ulll. 

Av  1  ta(,'o 



. 

f.  c. 

1  Ji(j 

1254 
1  1 "() 

i"<)ij 

llii; 

IJ()S 

\2H^ 

»>'    li,i\r 

wlikii  do 

\iTy    low, 

riir    I'rni- 

'I'      iH'liplc. 
fXpl, 111,1- 

nicrs   in 

>ni   lo    In 

'("t\-  tahk;- 

iifil   ,ilUr 

i    Ili'lWiill 

..il.     Tile 

■  .nliiici.il 
l(-'ii(i  that 

It    cxi-ts 

■  in\-  kind 
I'liis   ixi- 

in.ulc  (.11 
,  iiia\-  til 
l)rciuiir 
1  lo  thr 
'  SUCCl'S- 


shoiili!   Ik- 
f  IVru. 


si\r  ijcncrations,  on  ccnulitioii  that  the  means  employed 
li,i\c  profouiullx- inodifiecl  alike  milriLion  and  the  structure 
(,!'  tlu'  bones.' 

To  the  (lifficulties  rcsultini^  from  deformation  which  was 
practised  !)>•  different  processes  throut^hout  the  land  of  the 
Incas.  we  have  to  add,  as  e\ery where  else,  the  incessant 
mixtures  of  race  and  t}'pe  which  are  met  with  amoiiL^st  the 
k[k\\(\.  At  the  Castillo  of  the  threat  Chimu,  S([uicr  saw 
lo;4ether  reLJularl\--shaped  heads,  attrii)uted  to  the  Ocpiich- 
uas,  sciuare-shaped  skulls,  obtained  b\'  posterior  pressure. 
,iiid  eioiv^ated  skulls  (Tilj.  2 1  5),  the  cephalic  characteristics  of 
which  resemble  those 
of  l'aleiu|ue  and  C'o- 
l)an.  as  till')' are' made  m  \^-^~-^ 
known  to  us  by  sciil[)- 
tures. 

1  )r.  Wilson'  admits 
only  two  distinct 
t\pe>.  The  lV'ru\-ians 
of  tiu'  time  of  the 
liica>  were  brach\'ce- 
plialic  and  of  small 
stature  ;  the)'  had  a 
retreatiiiL;  but  \er\- 
lofty  forehead    ami   a 

llaitened  occijjut  :  their  l)ones  were  li-ht  and  delicate,  their 
hn-ers  Ion--  and  taperin-'.  Thoe  men  must  have  formed  an 
■  n-istocratic  class,  incapable  of  fati-uin-  work.  Tiic  niorc 
ancient  Teruvians  were  on  the  coiilrary  .lolicIi(KVi)iKiIic  : 
their  imnes  are  heavy  and  massive,  the  attachments  robust; 
everv  thin-  with  lliem  indicates  -re.it  nuHCular  force.  Mor- 
ton 'confounds  these  two  types,  and  i>  ,.f  opinion  that  the 
second  sprun-  from  the  fir.t.  and  ua..  obt.u'ned  by  the  aiti- 
tlcial    coini)rcvssion    to   which   inlaiits   were  .^ubiected. 


Fii;.  215.— neformeii  skull,  >.Tiil  to  heAyiinm. 


trom  ilic 


'  Ciama  Ethiiica." 


Hut 


the  f.Kt  .n.pcus '..''c  coirol.uraica  by  muJcrn 


'  t  lo^sf,  /.  i  .,  p.  I(i2,  says  that  tl 
(.■Npcnmciils  <ii\  diiiin-'slic  .uiiinals, 

■'  ■'  I'lrhistoiic  Man."  vol.  11.,  chap.  X.\.,  I'i  ■  '45.  I:',  i^'^' 
'  NoU  and  liliddoii,  ' '  Tvpc^  of  .Maiikiii.l.' 


'i  r 


.;' ) 


■^1 


I    i 


504 


PKl  .//ISTCR/C  .l.)/FA7C.I. 


,1  * 


I' 
I'- 


i  ■  i) 


i  '< 


f 


! 


i   , 


1 
I 


•f 


>•  i' 


Wilson'  iuslly  replies  [o  him  that  skulls  .irtit"iciall\- (Klominl 
arc  alw  i\s  as_\-innK'trical.  aiul  tli.it  the  dolichocopiialic  >kulls 
on  the  t'oiitrarx'.  wliicli  are  looked  upon  as  normal,  .irc 
al\va\s  coniplett'l}-  reL;ular.  'l"he_\'  h.ue  .ilso  peculi.u' charac- 
teristics: lhe\-  are.  for  instance.  longer  and  narrower;  the 
upper  jaw  i>  extrenul}-  prominent;  and  the  tcetli,  cspeciallv 
the  incisors,  are  ol)li([ue. 

We  do  not  Content  an_\'  of  these  assertions;  we  content 
ourselves  with  rep(.atin^  what  u  c  ha\'c  alread}'  said  si  \eral 
times,  that  the  existence  of  different  t\j)es  would  not  neces- 
saril)'  imjjly  that  of  different  races  ;  the  causes  of  the  orij^in 
or  of  the  modit'icaliuns  of  t>|)es  beiuL;  as  yet  absolutely  un- 
known.'' 

The  custom  ^^f  mummifyiiiL;  hum;m  bodies  has  enabled  us 
to  m;iki.  1  ia'i\' u  It  nl  i)l)ser\ation>.  The  mummy  discovered 
at  Chacota.  1;  r  ■••,  ..  ucc,  an  illustration  <>i  which  we  repro- 
duce {fiLj,  \y()),  L;i\iv.  as  the  lenL^th  of  the  humerus  nine 
inches,  thai  <  \  th  han  '  *^^•e  and  om:  half  inches,  that  ><(  the 
]iii(ldle  thiLier  three  and  .nehalf  inches,  that  of  the  femur 
thirteen  inche-,  of  the  tibia  tuehe  inches,  of  the  foDt  seven 
and  a  half  inche>  :  whil-t  the  width  of  the  h.md  is  onlv  two 
inches,  and  of  the  foot  two  and  one  half  inches.' 

In  .icconlance  with  custom,  locks  of  h;ur  were  placei  by 
friends  in  the  tomb  ;is  ;i  last  ti'stimon_\-  of  affection.  ^hi■^ 
hair  i-.  ,i>  hue  ,i<  that  of  the  Aiv^lo-Saxon  r.ices,  and  the 
faded  color  ;^enerally  \aries  from  dark  brown  to  chestnut. 
It  wa■^  i)robabl\-  ori;.^inal!_\-  black.    It  w.is  the  custom  to  \\e;u- 

"I'cw  ,vli()  h.-ive  liail  extensive  oiiporlunities  of  miiuitely  exaiiiiiiini;  and 
comparing  normal  and  ariifiLially  deformcvl  c.ania  will,  I  think,  be  prepared  to 
di-pute  the  fact  tin!  the  laiter  .tie  rarely,  if  i  ver,  symmelrical.''     Wilson,  /.  .-. 

\  iichnw  nnies  the  frequent  occurrence  in  Peruvian  skulls  of  an  anomaly, 
known  under  the  name  t,f  the  /;;,,;  /v/;*-,  .>r  the  interparietal  I'oiie,  and  asserts 
Hi.  rcciirrente  aniong>t  the  Indo-Chinese  and  llic  Malays  of  the  Philippine 
liles.  Aieordini;  to  him,  then,  it  would  be  characteristic  of  these  races;  hut 
Anoutdiine,  in  a  recent  work  ("  Kev.  d' Anthr.,"  iSSi),  has  shown  that  it  is  al.o 
uiLt  uith  .imonL;st  the  neyrocs.  it  is  doubtless  common  to  individuals  amon;; 
all  the  U■-^,  develt.ped  races.      See  Cosse,  /.  c,  p.   165,  etc. 

.1.  niaki-  :  •'  Notes  on  a  (lollection  from  the  Ancient  Cemetery  of  the  Ij.iy 
^(  »  iMie.ia,"  ••  kepoit,  JV-ahndy  .\l,...um,"  1S7S,  p.  2S4. 


THE   MEX  OE  .L]/EA7C.I. 


505 


lialir  >kiil|s 

"■'ni.il.  arc 

■■ir  rhar.ic. 

rnurr;    tlk; 

(-'>lH'cially 

lid    scwimI 

lll't    IlCCL'S- 

thc  (in'j^in 
>lutcly  un- 

ciial)lo(l  us 
iliscovcrcd 
wc  rcpro. 
lU'i'iis   iiiiic 
tll.ll  of  thr 
tlic   fr mill- 
font  sewn 
is  (inly  two 

placei  by 
;i<)ii.  This 
.'s,  and   the 

>     CllL'StllUt. 

>m  to  Wear 

xaiiiiiiiiii;  ami 
)c  pie])ar(;il  U) 
Wilson,  /.  ,. 

an  aiiiini.ily, 
f,  and  a^scMls 
10  I'liilippini.' 
it!  races  ;  Imt 

that  it  is  .iK.j 
iduals  anioiiL; 

V  of  Uic   il.iv 


tlu'  hair  loiii;-.  to  })iait  it,  and  let  tlie  plaits  Iian^  down  bc- 
liiiul  the  head.  Women  added  false  hair  to  their  plaits,  and 
after  the  lapsi'  o{  centuries  the  openin;^  of  the  toml)  has  hc- 
tra)ed  their  \aiiit\-.  It  is  only  just  to  add  that  it  was  not 
diily  the  woman  wlio  thus  called  art  to  the  aid  of  nature. 
The  dried  head  of  a  man  of  .ulvanced  ai;e,  for  liis  liair  is 
dashetl  with  i;ray  {fv^.  2l0),  is  co\ered  with  little  false  plaits 
anaiiL^ed  on  tlie  foreheatl.  This  head,  which  comes  from  an 
ancient  reru\tan  cemetery,  presents  notable  differences  from 
others  recently  iliscovered.  The  forelieail  is  lofty,  the  nose 
prominent,  tlie  cheek-hones  are  hii;h.  the  incisors  are  set 
\erticall\',  and  the  ears  are  dis[)roportionatel\'  tlistended. 
The  liair  is  now  brown,  and  the  plaits  haii';  in  tresses,  as  did 
those  of  the  French  luisscU's  of  the  eiul  of  last  century.' 

If  we  advance  further  southward,  we  shall  meet  with  dis- 
tinctly dolichoce|)lialic  races,  resembling  probably  the  ancient 
r.ices  amoiij,^  wliom  this  form  has  been  noticed.  The  man 
disco\-ered  b)-  .\me<;hino  in  the  pampas  was  of  small  stature, 
and  liis  skull  was  d..Iichocei)halic.  It  was  the  same  with 
those  found  b>-  Moreno  in  the  paradeios  of  j'ataL^onia;  both 
recall  the  t\-pe  of  the  Greenhuul  Eskimo  of  the  present 
time. 

The  fossil  skull  of  Lagoa  .^anta  was  also  dolichoceplialic, 
ami  the  learned  authors  of  the  "  C'r.uiia  [■jhmca  "  mention 
several  other  similar  >kulls  discoxered  in  Hrazil.  i'lic  ce- 
phalic   index    of    one  of    them,  which  w.is  in  a  condition  fur 

measurement,  is  70. 

The  Botocudos.  who  are  ver>-  di^liiut  from  liic  tribes 
surroundin-  them,  and  who  doubtless  represent  the  most 
ancient  races  of  the  couiitrw  are  also  .iMlicocephalic, 

Thev  are  no  less  remarkal)le  for  the  hei-ht  of  the  skull. 
the  prominence  of  the  brows,  and  the  lowncssand  rectan.i^u- 
lar  Unn^  of  the  orbits.  In  all  tlK-e  r.-pects  the>-  V'^^'']^'^^ 
do  the  Pataeonians.  numerous  .m  i;:-ies  with  the  Ks<imo, 


'  Wake,  /.  <■.,  1..  301.      Morton  :   "  Crania  Ameritana,"  |.i.  I. 
'••  I.a    a.a  eM.uhiial  dimcro  ,lo  la  ina.a  .ic  '^  P"'''-- ^'"™    „      , 
scrva  una  tal  lioino.oneidad  .,1,.  ,re.n.a  cl  ...ec.o.leun..  ra.opunu.na  ..pen.,. 


r  ' 


'i 


'I    * 


ill 


Sor. 


rh'i:-i//s7o/^/c  .i.i/EA'/c.i. 


'  i 

I 

I    I' 


'I 


i  5^''j: 


who  inhaliit  the  other  extreinity  of  tlic  American  continent. 
M.iy  we  not  su])i)o>e  tiial  both  were  dispersetl  and  then  re- 
treated,  htlK'  h_\-  Httle.  before  conijiierini;  r.ices.  to  whnni 
the)'  could  otter  but  ,in  iiielTieaeious  resistanci' ?  This  was 
what  happeiuii  in  l".iiro[)e  at  tlie  time  of  {hv  invasion  n\  \-,[. 
rious  A'-iatic  races  ;  the  ]ias(|ues  .ind  I'inns  were  driven  to 
the  extreme  Hniits  of  Kurope  to  .irid  and  uncultivated  re- 
«::;ions  :  and  although  it   is  iin])ossible  to  establish  with  any 

dei^ree  of  certaintw 
wi'  are  iustitle<l  in 
suppo>in;_;  that  --inn'- 
lar  e\i.'nt>  nia_\-  ha\o 
taken  place  in  Ameri- 
ca. ,ind  th.it  these 
;inci(  nt  r.ice-',  dri\  en 
fn  nr.  the  ri'L;ions  they 
hrst  iidi,d)iti'd,  were 
the  contemporaries 
of  the  F-  n  r  o  p  e  a  n 
juleiilithic  p  e  o  p  1  c. 
I-'.\er\-  thin;4  pnints 
to  the  coiu'lusioii  that 
the  nio>t  .ancient  in- 
habitants of  .Xmeric.i 
wa-re  httle  inferidi'  in 
■  uiticpiity  to  the  e.irl- 
it'r  iidMbil.mts  of  the 
Old  World. 
Ihe  .SpanianlsljrouL^ht  small-pox  with  them,  which  c.iu-^ed 
^reit  h.ivoc  amoni^r-^t  the   n.itivo.  w  holr  tribes  having-  been 


rIG.  216.    -lli'nil  ,,1    I  iir.iiiiniy  fnmi  .111   .uitiuiU 
I'eiuvi.ai  >i-])ulriirc. 


in.nliiun.la,  jior  unos  .juc  otros  cruz.imioiiti)-,.  Ln  (jue  s()l)ie  todo  disiins^iK-  a\ 
c^nuiiuil  dc  lodos  los  dcnia^  iniclilos  <le  la  tifira  cs  mi  c:dn.va  suniainciiti.' 
!?'.'"^'''""7'^"'^'*'^'''""'  "  '''^  -'^iili.i;"i^'''"-id  dfl  Il.mil.ncn  cl  I'Lila,"  vuj.  1.,  p.  163. 
"  'I  lie  IMuiiu)  and  llic  l!,,iociid.)s  are  >li.nl,  llie  cephalic  index  (73)  i-  the  >ame  ; 
'"•111  li:ive  prominent  cheeks ;  snudi,  .,l,li.|ue  eye.  ;  coar.e,  straii;ht,  Mack  hair  ; 
I'r-i-.  di-tended  ear.  ;  a  flu,  nmnd  face;  and  a  tendency  to '..l.esity.  Kvcn 
tl.e  A /,•,/«,•,  the  straiiLje  nriKinienl  tu  wlijch  the  H,)t,.ciuhis  owe  tiieir  name. 
1-  nut  wish  amont;  the  \ve.,lern  Eskiii 
'\ii;hr,,"  is«i, 


iiiio."     Hordier,  Topiiiard  :  "  Bull.   Soc. 


^  I 


inr:  me\  of  am/kica. 


507 


.;!      ': 


■^irovcil  by  the  scourjTc.     '\'\\c\  in  ihcir  turn  ;irc 


1)\  sonic  to    liax'c   received    from    the    \n\ 


supposed 


encans  a  no  loss 


I,  rill 


■1    niahul)-,  s\-philitie  affections  ilestincd  to  ijliL'ht,  if  not 


to  destroy,  tlic  very  source  ( 


.f  life 


Th 


IS  last  assertion  ha- 


.•en  iiotiy  contested  :  it   is  allec^ed  that  syphilis  existetl 


ni 


America     before    the    i6th    cenlur' 


did    it 


also   exist    m 


I'.iirope?  This  is  a  [ioiiU  which  has  remained  verj-  obscure. 
The  ('hinese  historians  relate  that.  2637  J'.  C,  the  ICniperor 
1  loaii,L;-ty  described  syphilitic  affections  in  both  sexes.  Fait 
this  fact,  which  woukl  prove  the  existence  of  syphilis  before 
the  discover)'   of  .Anu'rica,  is  verv  much    di-puted.     (jreat 


■^t|•ess   has   been    laid   on    the   .Spanish   won 


Ihilhh  which 


IS 


iraiisl.iled  b\-  syphilitic  affection  ;  but  it  remains  to  be  as- 
cert. lined  whethe!'  tlii>  word  then  h.id  the  same  si^^^nificatioii 
which  we  ^ixi  to  it  now."  ( )ne  thini;-  which  is  not  d(>ui:)tliil 
is  that  the  bones  bearing;-  the  siip[)(>sed  marks  of  this  malady 
1  in  the  stone  [graves  of  Tennesee.' and  that 
iii'red  on  other  hones  '  h-oin  the 
linois,  and  those  iie.ir  .X.i^li- 


a\e  been  founc 


tr,i 


ees 


of  ,1  siiiiil.ir  kmd   o.-i. 


mounds  ( >j 


li  iw 


Kiver, 


\il 


It  is  not  onl\-  ill  the  (.'eiUr.ii    I'nited  .St.ites  that  we 


these  indelible  tr.ici 


and  w  t'  have  aire 


>ku!l,  from  the  paraderos  <it   I'.it 


I'.'oina,  o 


.nl\-  mentioned  a 


n  which  Broca  no- 


tii 


tr.u 


.f  inll 


iniinalor\-  .leti'  'ii  w  ln\  !i 


he   did   not  hesi- 


tate to  attribute  to  a  s\-nliilitie  aU'i'Clion. 


If  Ihi- 


dia'jiiohi- 


he    CO 


rrect,  howt  \er.  it  ma\-  be 


be  taken  as 


be.iriiiL!-  either   w,i\- :   that   i-.  the   interment   ina\- have  heeii 


bseipieiit  to  the  invasion 


if  th 


e  V.  In 


te>  or  the  disease  pre- 


ceik'( 


I  tl 


leir  es 


lal 


)lishnien 


t  in  America. 


'  Cl.ivii'cn 


'Sl(>ii:i  .\Mli(.-.i 


,1l'1  m. 


I.I, 


I  I  CM. 

f...  1- 


Ilisl.    (ic'l 


II,,   l.n.ik  CXWI.        (.''lIR'nl 


•\.  IV,, 


50 :. 


Mcx. 


S.1I1 


llUt.     (icll. 


1,1.  c- 


.\ue\-.i   Espaa-i,  '  \\< 


II. 


Ilk  VII.,  p.  24().     Ovic.l.)  :   "  lli-t. 
'  'I'nii.-icnic,  "  Conj;.  ilcs  .Vmciii  .iiii> 


>  hull. 


J.    l-M 


'  Several  skeletons 


tiK 


nv.ui<l>  luire  uiniu>la 


ik.il'Iem.i 


irks  of  ilK'Mvn. 


nf  svphili.s"  Jones  :  "  Aborii;inal  Kcnuiiii:.  of  •rciiiic-.^.v, 


Smitii.  Colli. 


.Wil. 


'  l''aii|uli.irson 
I'm  11.1111 

,  y.  305, 


'  I'roc.  \m.  .\-->oi-'.,"  I ''.111 
.■\rcli.  Kxiil.  ill  TciiiiesM.'f  ;"  " 


(.Miclii;:aii),  iS; 


(■port 


I'e.aboi 


.Iv  Museum,    vo 


.      i 


)ini 


-'  ^ 


w    •  ■ 


i; 


I', 


(    I 
/ 


.  » 


■ii 


:j' 


I ' 


'  I 


;  If! 


So8 


J'A'i:-J//S  /•('/.•/(  ■    .  IMI:  /</(.  \l. 


It  is  (]ucsti(^Mablc  whillur  these  lesions  arc  iluc  tn  the 
alieL;ed  palholoiiieal  cau-e  ;  '•  Sewr.il  patholoi^ists  wild  Ihm^ 
examined  liiese  bones  unite  in  statini;  that  lhe\- do  not  [iruvc 
tile  i\i-<ttiK"e  (if  syphilis,  .is  other  dise.ises  not  sypjnjis 
iniL;lil  liavi'  sueh  effeets"  '  ;  hut  other  f.iets  tend  to  cunlinn 
the  h\"pothesis.  Aieounts  which  have  conu'  down  to  ii^U.iil 
us  to  belie\e  that  the  M.i)as  were  aecpiainteil  with  veiureal 
affections,  and  that  to  cure  theni  they  used  the  bark  of  a 
tree  called  (iii,!\<i<iii/,  n.itivi.'  to  Xicarajjua.''  It  is  allei;ecl 
that  in  the  anciiiit  lanL;ua;4es  of  America  there  are  uoids 
ri'latin^;  b>  these  maladio,  the  origin  of  whiih  the  n,iti\i's, 
by  a  ^rotcscjue  f.mcy,  ascril)( d  to  one  ol  their  j^'ods,  Xaii- 
luiatl.  wild  is  said  to  have  beiu  tlu'  tlrst  to  infict  the  luiinaii 
r.ice  with  this  disease.''  At  all  e\ents,  tlu're  is  no  d  f^rwri 
re  asoii  why  such  a  di-ease  ma_\' not  havi'  been  cnmmmi  to 
the  whole  human  race  fi'om  a  \ery  I'arly  pt'riod.  ()tlRr 
diseases  of  the  'x mes.  thouL^h  tif  K'ss  fri'cpunt  occurrence, 
were  nut  unknown.  l)r.  I'.ircpdiarson  describes  .i  curiuus 
affection  of  tin-  cervicd  wrtebr.e.  which  appears  to  li,i\e 
been  cureil.  l\eco\ery  frum  this  lesion  was  r.iie  and  \ery 
tedious,  reipiirinL;'  a  Ioiil;  time  and  constant  care.  These 
people  then  li\ed  in  societies,  anil  did  not  abaiulon  those 
belonL;inL,'  to  them  who  wt're  attlicteii  by  scMi-  inlnnnties. 
Several  skulls  of  'l\nnes>ee  bear  tr.ices  of  ancient  inll.imma- 
tions'  ;  old  ancliyloscs  ha\e  also  i)ein  noted  on  loiii;"  i)oius. 
I  )all  colkcted  at  .1  ine-historic  villa^^e  site  in  the  .Meutiaii 
Ukuuls.  a  skileton  of  which  the  entire  \ertebr.d  column 
w,as  anch)loNfd  as  a  seijuel  to  sonic  severe  affection; 
so  that  the  individual  must  h.ive  lived  for  },-i'ars  in  a 
crouchiii!^^  ])osturi'.  This  >keleton  is  now  in  the  Arm\-  Medi- 
cal Mu-cum  .It  \\',i>hinL;ton. 

Neither  wnre  hurts  re-^ultini;    fidui  traumatic    c.iuses  r.irc. 

'  l'utn;im  :    "  \<v\k  ,  IValiody  Museum,"  vol.   II.,  ]>.  316. 

''  l>r.  liiuhl  {Cithiiiii.i/i  /.,ui,f/,iii,/  Clinic,  May  29,  i,S8o)  spe.iks  of  the  syphi- 
liiic  lemcilics,  known  to  the  iuh.iliit.TiiIs  of  Cenlr.nl  .America  and  Peru, 

■'  I5r.isseur  :  "  Ili.t.  des  Nations  civiHsecs,"  vol.  I.,  ]..   iSi. 
!..  (arr:   "  Observations  on  tlie  Cr.inia  from    ihe   Stone   draves  of  'I'ennev 
!-«■'■  ;  "  "I'ealiody  M\istiini  Report,"  vol.  11..  p.  -,,"i. 


.<Afe»-    «?■_.; 


vll 


ur    I,,  tl,^. 

will,   h.ivc 

Hot  piovc 
'  syphilis 
"   coiiiiini 

to  iisk'ad 

i).irk  (if  a 
is  allL-cd 
.lie  w.irds 
I'    it.iliws, 

1"'  liiiniaii 
lo  ii  priori 
>minnn  to 
(1.     Otlkr 

(.'CUITilK'i.', 

.1  ruiiiiiis 
s    til   lia\c 

and  wry 
I'l'.  'riiisc 
idoii  those 
iiilliriiitii's. 
iiill.iiiinia- 
mil;-  I)(iiu>. 

Ak'iitian 
il  ti)Iiiiiin 
alTi'ctiDii  ; 
-•ars  ill  a 
in\-  Miili- 

iiiscs  nirc. 

iif  the  s)|ilii- 
cru, 

.  of  Tciincv 


Tlll:    Ml:.\   OF  AMERICA. 


509 


riu'  rciibotly  Museum  con;  lins  two  I'ciiiviaii  skulls  collected 
hy  Ai^assiz,  which  deserve  to  W-  mentioned.  One  of  them 
ha-^  .1    fr.ictui\'   fue   ci'utimctirs    Ioiil;    I)\-    thni'    bni.ul    .iiul 


rhiv-f 


our  niilliimtrt's  deip 


lie   wiirl 


A 


rii),iir  IS  \erv 


\  isii)le,  and  four  fr,ii,n-.  _iits  of  the  bon\-  structure  iiave  .ij,fain 
Income    uniteii.       'I'he    otlur    skull,  which  beloiiLred    to  an 


,uUl 


It,  li.is  ;i  loiv'  fr.icturi'  on  the  forehead,  elev 


eii  centimetres 


loin 


by    five    bro.id,   which   w,is    doubtless  |)roiluced    by  .1 


\  10 


ent  blow 


from 


a  cliil). 


11 


ere,  ti 


tlu 


fi 


ve  or  SIX  tr.i'. 


iiieiits  til, it  cm  still  be  m.ule  out  li.id  united  In  both  case^ 
the  wounded  Ihul  probabK'  li\ed  for  main-  \-ears  after  their 
injury  ;  they  had  triumphed  by  the  >tren_L;th  of  their  consti- 
tution, for  there  are  no  traces  of  aiu' sun'ic.d  operation,  sucli 


.IS  tlu'   remo\-.i 


1  of 


pi. 


(i|  boiu 


It  w.is  not  alw.iws  thus.     (  )n  .mother 


aNo  heloneni!. 


to  the  ri'inark.djle  collection  of  the  I'e.iboil)   Museum,  a  per- 
for.ition  c.ui  l)t'  seen,  prob.ibl}'  attemptetl  as  .1  mode  of  lieal- 


nu 


m  inilamination  of  the  cr.mium.  the  trace  of  which  i- 


very  ai)pareiit,  aiul  S.piier  spe.ik 


.f  a   1 


erin  i.m 


v'ull  U 


■),   found    in   a   cemeter\- 


tlu 


uc.i\-  \m11i'\\  in  which  .1 


)iece  seems  to  ha\e  been  t.u<eii  out  1)\'  llie.liK 


incisions. 


Ih 


e  opening  incisures 


one  hiiiidrci 


■veil  bv  one  huiulred  .md  fort\->i\  niiliinietre- 


lour  renul.ir 
1  .iiul  sevcnty- 
II ere,  too, 


the  billies  show  traces 


if  ,111  .mcieiit  inlkiinmation,  .iml  some 


eminent  sun-eons,  such  a-^ 


Nelat 


on  ami 


Hmci,  liave  not  hesi- 


tated to  .ittribute  this  | 


rfoiMtioii  to  ,111  oi)eration  ,itteiii[)ted 


(luriiit 


lie. 


w 


e  must   not  confound  these  operations  with  the  ! 
humous  trep.inniiv^s' of  freijueiit  occurrence  in  some  | 

of  .\ 

cert.iin  .iboiit   the  reason 


)o->t- 

larts 


W 


merici. 

e  know  nothim 


for  tlu 


tre- 


panninL;s  ;  w 


■hether  thev  were  .1  niaric  ■' 


huiuir,  a  rehi,nous 


Wyr 

Sfjui 


1< 


>ri,  realiiiilv  Mu^ouiu 


■-!•  !'■ 


IncidL-nts  of  ■rravel  ainl  Kxploi.iti.ui  in  tlic 


,1  of  ;lu-  IlKM-, 


■157,  appendix  \. 
'  .\iii.    Assoc.,    Detroit,   iS; 
f  th 


II.    C 


.Xftilicial   rerforatioii  of  the  .  lanuim 
Assoc,  Nashville,  iSS;. 


Iiinii  : 
;ii  .Viu;;eiit 


.\(M,    Kacts    Conceniing 


.Moil  ml 


.\Iichii;aii,'  Am. 


I 


4   !^ 


~ 


It 

•  I 


I       I 


/ 


r. 
,  Si 

I 
..it 


'  1 1 


i't 


I  • 


510 


/•A7..///.V  /i  'A7(  ■   .  /  .1/ AAV(  ■.  / . 


rite,  or  were  m.ule  t(<  let  out  the  bniin,  ov  for  li.uit^ins  up  ilic 
head,  or  were  inlemkd  to  allow  the  soul  to  revisit  thi'  body 
that  it  hail  iuhahititl.  All  thesi'  hypothest-s  aw  possil,K  ; 
none  of  tluin  e.ui  hr  provcil.  I'xeavat ioiis  in  a  nioiiiul  ,,( 
an  irrL"4ular  cni\ii.al  form,  from  ten  to  t"iftii.-n  feet  hi;-;h.  have 
brought  to  !iL;lU  live  skeletons  buiied  staiulini; ;  a  sixth  l.iy 
in  the  eeiitre  of  the  tunuilus,  eviilently  oeeupyiiii;  the  p!aee 
of  honor;  all  alike  had  a  similar  perfor.ition  in  the  skull. 

'I'rt-panned  skull-  lia\e 
also  been  t.d>;en  \\<  'Ui  a 
mi  Mind  near  Sable  Kivcr, 
and  from  the  lar;^'-  tu- 
muhi--  of  tlu  KcA  ki\i'r. 
of  whieh  we  ha\-i  ,il. 
ri:ad_\-  <pok''n  ;  but  the 
pi'rfoialions  are  ;^i'ner- 
,dl\"  smaller  than  lho>f 
of  the  skulls  fioni  ".iher 
mounds.  idle  tr.-p.ui- 
nin^s  of  M  i  e  h  i  i:  a  n. 
.d)onl  which  we  ha\e 
more  complete  det.uN, 
were  alw.ixs  in.ule  after 
death,  .iiid  onl\-  oil 
adults  of  the  in.de  >eN  '; 
'  t  hi.\'  .111.'  from  OIK'  to  iw  o 

centimetres  in  di.uiieler,  .uul  usu.dK'  occur  at  the  saL;ittal  su- 
ture.'i^eiierally  at  tlu:  point  of  junction  w  ith  the  coronal  suture. 
They  were  oht.uned  by  me. ins  of  .m  instrument,  probabh"  .1 
pointed  stone  drill,  w  hich  \\. is  turned  round  r.i]!idl\'.  W  c 
ha\e  noticed"  these  perfor.itions  in  Iuuo])e.  especiall)'  in 
I'' ranee,  where  they  ha\e  been  so  eompletely  discussed  1)\' 

'  IJroca  ;   "  Rev.  d'  Aiuh.,"  1S76,  p.  435. 

''  'Vhc  >.-\L;ili;Tl  suUui;  unites  Uie  two  parieLil  bones,  and  hirctcfics  from  befim- 
backward  aloii^  Uiu  median  Unc.  Tiic  coronal  suture  extends  from  one  teni- 
1-  ral  bone  to  the  otlier,  aliove  the  crown,  unitinj^  the  frontal  to  the  parietal 
bone. 

'  "  Lea  Premiers  lloinmes,"  vol.  II.,  p.  21S  i/  sfi/. 


Till-:  .I//.\'   ('/••  .IM/.h/C.l. 


;ii 


I'lidiM.'      I  lu'\'  \\v\v  (il'lcii  sur;^i(.Ml,  ,ii)il  ni.iiK;  \\\)'\\\  {\w  skill 
nf  tin;  livim/  (fi'''.  J  I  Si.      I'"\tT\-  avc  .iml  huih  -,i\ 


rs  wrn-  siih- 


l    111    tluin. 


uir    |)()NitMi),    torm,    .iiid    liir^lh    \ani 


.KC'inlin^  li'  tlu;  uinind  nr  the  n.ituic  nf  tin- inalad)- tlu-\- 
\\(i\' siippu^id  ti)  rclicvi'.  (  Minp.in'Miii  bituccii  tliciii  ami 
AiiirriiMM  tnpamiini^s  is.  tin  rrfdif.  ilifluiilt.  A  i-iaailar 
(.laiiial  iuili)ratiiiii  has  al-^n  hrni  iiu'iitioiicd  in  ,m  Aiiiciiiaii 
cianiiim,  in  (-'Xtt)'  rcspcil   -similar  ti'  thusc  fmmil  in  Immiicc 


)r.  !■ 


ninirri  ~.  hut  the  (li--cii\  ,'r\'  is  thus  far  ui)iini<. 


W 


r  iiiii->l    iTcur  iii,Miii  to  curinii-^  artilicial  cktormatioii  o 


f 


tiu'  ^kull.  <il  t'rt'(|utiit  uccuiTiiH'L'  in   {\\v  nortli  aiul  soiitli  of 


till.'    Anirruan    i.iinti- 


llrll 


I.    At  ih.   t 


iinr  (1 


thi-  .S|)ani-^h  <*  ini|U(>l 


the 


M'L.itrr     n  II  111  - 


r    111     the    iialiv 


|)n.iall\-    thi 


liai)ltlll'''  tile 


I  '  'a-^ 


ni- 
ls of 


tlu 


aiitu.    rrtanird 


their  .mcii  Ml  liahil  of 
i  oiniJfe's^iiiL;'  tile  hcaii 
"f  tlieir  infants  at  thr 
time  of  tlu'ir  l)irth.' 
rile  lllo->t  reeellt  of 
the■^e     def<innalion^, 


Mlo 


A    fa-^hionai)lr.  if  w  t'  ina\-  ii- 


.iKli    a 


word,  was  the 


llat- 


teiiini'-   of  the   foreh 


e.ul,  -I  I 


llial    tlu'   lu.id  is  wideiicil 


at  tlic 


-Hie,  a 


nd  h 


as  tlioiiL'li  di-plai 


ll  UK 'A 


an!,  tlic  aii-k- 


if 


iiu'iiii.ilioii    \ar\ini 


There 
(,'on''res   des   Anuricini-te-.   Ii«!d  a 


were   \i't   iilhiT- 


L   XaiK'V.  in 


it  the  lir>t 
iS';.  were 


sliowii  successive 


Ivan  A\-iii,ira-kuII  fpiin 


liolivia.  K'H-t 


lie  nod 


Mciiiiiirc  hi  cu  iS-d  an  ('iiiij.;rr-  'Ic 


\Vi 


"  rrL'lii>loric 
'  Sinilli.  (.'iinl. 
lift:     "• 


.M.in, 


d'Aiith.,"  i.'^74 


II.,    p.  40.     liai 
Moreno   ("  Kcv. 
fcirty-five  skulls  of  aiicien 
lornuuion. 


.■    Nativf  K.u 


a-lV-t,""KfV.  d'Aiith./'iS;; 
rlian.  XXI.    ]ont> 
■'  \,.illi  American 


Ant.   1)1 


j|.    I.,  H-  •'""' 


Imli.in- 
IV. 


-4  )  \\.\^  ,lita::K'il  i"  'li<-'  '•''-' 


nietcries  0 


t  TciuielclK'-,  cii; 


iilceii  niesemiiiL; 


tin^  a  very 


f  r.lta.;,'i>lli: 
lu.irkfil  ill." 


Iv^ 


>''    V^l 

n 
I 

ill 
'It 


!  \ 


'D 
m 


\  I 


'^-^^- 


•f  i: 


Hi 


,ij 


rAw:-///s7\>A7r  a.uf.k/ca. 


ffr 


I  > 


kv'- 


to  a  pdint  :  anoilur  of  thi-  s.unc  oris^in  of  c\-lindrica!  form; 
an  liulian  skull  llatlciu'd  from  I)L'forc  Ij.ickward  so  as  tn 
l^ivc  tlu'  fnrcluMd  luiL;r  dinu'iisions  ;  and,  lastl}-,  ratai^uiiiaii 
skulls,  oiU'  i>f  which  had  hc'cii  suhjccU'd  to  sucli  pressure  in 
the  middle  of  the  head  that  it  i)resentcd  .i  two-lobed  .ip|H,ir- 
anee. 

Tiiis  eu.'.tom  dates  from  the  most  ancient    niccs  who   peo- 
pled   the  ciumtr)-  •  nearl_\-    .dl    the    Mound  skulls  thus    far 
disco\ered   have  the  occiput   flattened  ;   but  with   them   the 
deform. ition   is.  perhaps,  of   less  e.\a_!_;L;erated  character  th.ui 
;mion;.;->t   the  American   r.ices.      M.my  of  these  deformations 
ma_\-  be   attributed    to   i/osthumous  causes,  sucli  as  the  pros- 
sure  of   the    earth    up'on    tlie   bones    softened    b\'   moisture. 
Under  one  of  the   niounils  of  Ut.di,  in   the  centre  oi  that 
coimtry  which  .1  tew  _\e.irs  "i^o  was   an  absolulel)-  uid<nouii 
liesert,  a  skull   h.is  been    obt.uned   showini,;'  a  considerable 
.nlifici.il  depression^      This  tleform.iti<  m  was  practised  anions;- 
.dl  the  ]\la_\-.i  r.ices ;  the  re[)resent.itions  of   the  hum.in  form 
found   in  Chiapas,  1  loiulur.is,  ami  \'uc. It. m,  leave    no    doubt 
oil  this  point  (fil^s.  IJ3,  I  24.  12('),  l_\S).      The  skulls  t.da'U  b_v 
Dr.   l-"lint    trom    the   cues  of    Nic.ir.iL;ua   h.i\e    .dso  .i  \er_\- 
m.ukeil   frontal   de])re^-^ion.'     The   cu-iL;in   of  tliis  custom  is 
unknown  ;   but  it  is  st.iled  to  h.ive   been    introduced   .unon;-;- 
men  b\-  the  i;ods  them>el\es.     The  idols  .ill    h.ive  curiously 
llatteiied    heads.     Recent   e.\c,i\-.ition:'   near  X'er.i  Cru/   h.i\e 
brou-lu  to  li-lit  some  e.irtheiiw.ire  st.ituettes,  in  which  lhi^ 
s.une  deform, itioii  nccMr-,  ,ind  w  hich,  .iccordin^'  to  the  custom 
amoiii;  Mexic.iii-  of  the  ruling'  cl. iss,  li.u'c  a  pointcil  beard  on 
the  chin. 

1  he  means  employed  v.iried  ;j;re.itly.  .SiMiictimes  the  de- 
form,itions  were  obt. lined  by  means  of  pKmks  f.isteiU'd  on 
the  hf.id  ,.f  the  child.  (  )ur  illu->tr.ition  (\\^.  J19)  shows  the 
martyrdom  inllicted  on  theM-  little  ere.itures.  whicli  lasted 
ci-ht  or  ten  month>,  but  .ipp.irenll>-  did  not  intlict  much 
IKim,     We  ma>-  reason. d)ly  suppose,  from   the  .shape  of  the 

"  Kcjinrl,   IValicjily  MllsfllMl,"   1S71,   V..1.    II.,  ],.    I,, (J. 

K^-'p'^rt,  roiil.M.ly  Mu.-,uuni,"  i^-o,  vdI.  II.,  [,.  ^k,. 


kt  »<i' 


i    2 


THE   MEX  OF  AMERICA. 


513 


\s   the  tlc- 

tciud    III! 

Iious  the 
■ell  lastril 
lid  niucli 
|)c  of  the 


mother's  head,  that   slic  wished   to  make  that  of  her  child 

like  it. 

Ill  other  cases  baiidaj^es  were  wouiul  round  the  head 
of  the  new-horn.  The  C'hoctav,s  '  used  a  little  bai^-  of  siuid, 
oil  uhieli  the  lieatl  rested  constaiUl}'.''  The  Mosquitos 
pkued  a  plank  on  the  skull  of  their  infants  as  soon  as  they 
Wire  a  month  old,  ami  they  increased  the  pressure  until  the 
result  oi)tain(.-d  was  s.itisfactory.  In  Yucatan,  four  or  five 
cli\s  .d'ter  its  hirtli 
the  cliiUl  w.is  laitl 
upon  its  stomach,  and 
tlu  head  placed  be- 
tween two  plank--; 
one  [iressed  the  fore- 
liead  ,iiul  the  other 
tile  occiput  ;  and  this 
po-ition,  which  ap- 
pears so  crucT  was 
m.iintainetl  without 
chanL;"e  for  a  consid- 
erable time.' 

riiese       ijjrotesque 
custom^   do    not    ap- 
pear to   li,i\e  injured    k^       0      *  n        -        *•  .1 
either   the    health    01  '' ■'■^''■'    w'    V^ 

the    intelligence,    nor       in;.  21  i.-ArtiikinMcfomiation  practised  on 

,1    Lllilli. 

should    they  sui'])ri--e 

u^.  for  we  meet  with  them  on  ever\-  pa-e  of  ethnic  history. 

ilippocrate-,'    >pe.dsS  of  a   niacroceplulk.'   n-il)e^i\-i'i^^_>^' 

■  An.-m^  the  c;iuK:t.u^'a7.^n>n„,.  ..h.  As.n.ua.s  cranial  deformation  was  ex- 
clu-ivcly  rL'scrveil  for  iiuik'  iiif.ml.-. 

■'.\a.ur;   ••  Ili.l.  >.f  i!ir  AiiR'ncaii  Iii.liaii.,"!'.  2^^4. 

Mlviclo  V    ^^^^--  '-^^^-■^-^^-  y  ^^^-  ''  '^'''''T^     f^-^'^ 
I-   Nl  JTIcr,.  iMon.  d.l  ,.,n    0...^-i.c.  HI.,  1-k^U^^^^^^^^ 

V,„U,  ,S.„,vol.  Il.,,..v,..     i.,u,.U,''K.Uiondebstosn.d,\nc....>n, 

I'.iri^  i^(i.|,  pp.  1 14.   !-".  Ill 
*"  Du  .\cris,  .\.pii>,  I'l  l.'>''    " 


.1^  If 


f 

'^1 


5'4 


/'A7:.///S7'(>A'/C  AMJK/CA. 


)'   f. 


I'alus  M(Votis  amoivj;  whom  tin-  parents,  at  the  birtli  of  a 
child,  endeavored   to  L;i\c  an  ehuv^ated   form   to  tlie  hr.id  ; 
Strabo  '  mentions  an  Asiatic  people  amonj.(  wliom  thi-  ftuc- 
heail  was   forced   out   bi-N'ond   tlie   hiu-   of   liie   cliin   b}-  aiti- 
tlcial  means.       Iihimetibach  saw  a   skull   with  this  (U'pressioii 
taken  fn^n    a    tumulus    in    the    Crimea  ;     another    exactly 
similar    was    touml    near    Kerlch.    so   that    it    was  a  [general 
practice.       Such.    too.    was  the    cu>tom   y^{    the     Monijoliaii 
Avari,'  if.  as  we   suppose,  we   may   attribute   to  them  either 
the  skulls  of  (irafeiiei^L;   and   At/i^errsdort    near   X'ii-nna,   or 
others  discovered  in  \ariiuis  p^irts  of  (lermaii)'  and   Switzer- 
lanil.  in  which    the  same    deformation    occurs.       A    medal 
struck  in  huiior  of  Attila,  4;:*  A.   1).,  bears  the   bust   df  the 
"  Scouri;e  iif  (itnk"  in   which   the   lu'ad   is  \'isibl)'  depressed. 
A  skull  thus  delormed,  belnn!.'inL;"  to  a  skeleton  of  \-er\' L;reat 
stature,  has  been  found  luai'  the  i;ate  of    I  )amascus  at    b'ru- 
salem.''       1  )r.    Mei^s  reco;^ni/e(l   that    the   form   was  dwv  to 
pii^s-ure  exercised  duriui,;-  infanc)'.      'I'lii^  .irtillckil    moditic.i- 
tion   ot   the  head  aNo  existed  aniom;  the  C'aledonkins,  .Scan- 
dinavians,' anil  AiiL^lo-Saxons  of  the  most  remote  ai;es."      it 
exists  in   our  own   d,i_\-   in   a  Ljreat   man\-   of    the   islands  of 
'  )ceanica.     The  -h.ipe  of  the  head  is  ewii  a  me.ms  of  reco^;- 
ni/ini;  the  i-laiukas.  for  the  people  of  different  isLands  h,i\e 
])eculiar    custom>.    transmitted     from    their    ancestors    .md 
fonnerl)-   reliL;iou^l\-  observed.       Amon-     the    hdatlieads    it 
wa>   an    aristocratic   prixile-e.  and    neithei-  sl.ues   nor  men 
of  inlerior  condition  were'    allowed    to    adojjt     it     for    their 
chililriMi. 

Hut  without  LjoiuL;-  so  far.  we  still  meet    with    this    cus- 


'"(leogr.iphia,"  book  I.,  tliap.  XIX. 

'Kci/ius  ill  nutiny  ilic  cousiaiu  .Icfonnatinn  aiiioii^'si  ilio  Mi.n<;()ls  i)i-eten<l> 
lluit  it  ua^  inUiHlucc.l  into  .\mLTica  !.y  .\>iaiic-  ciiiii,'raiu-.  "  Archives  dcs  Sci- 
i-'iico  Xaturcllc-,"  (lencva,  \^()v..      "  Sinilli^,  RciuHt,"  1859,  p.  270. 

•*  I'iu-  ,kull  is  now  part  of  the  collections  of  tlic  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences 
^t  i'iiiladelphia.  "Description  of  a  Deformed  l'rat,'inentarv  Skull  in  an 
Ancient  Quarry  Cave  .at  jeru^alen,,"  "Trans,  of  riiil.adelphi.i'Acad.  of  Nai. 
i-cienees,"  1859. 

■'Gosse;  •'  Essai  sur  les  deformations  aruacielles  du  erane,"  j).  72. 
'Thurman:  "Crania  Hiitannica,"  p.  3a. 


/■///,    MEX  OF  AMERICA. 


515 


i'l 


irtli  of  n 

U'  he, 111  ; 
the  fnrc- 
)>■  aiti- 
I'prL'ssiiiii 
I'xactly 
i  i;x'iu  T.il 
onL'jiliaii 
111  cither 
riiiia.  nr 
S\vit/LT- 
\    nu-ilal 

•>t     (if    tllL- 

ci)rcssril. 
cry  _L;riMt 
at  Jrni- 
s  (liir  tt) 
m<i(litka- 
IH,  Scaii- 
mcs."  It 
slaiuls  (if 
(if  i\.'C(\l;- 
iul>  li.iw 
tors  ami 
lu'ads  it 
nor  nirii 
f(ir    their 

this    cus- 


)is  iiietcnd^ 
vcs  tk's  Sci- 

i.il  Sciences 
kiill  ill  ;iii 
id.  of  Niii. 


torn,  at  the  present  da>-  in  scimc  parts  of  France,  where  it  is 
known  under  the  name  of  dt'fonnation  toulousainc.  It  is 
obtained  by  i)ressin;4  tiic  head  of  the  new-born  with  band- 
a^^es.  In  tiie  department  of  Deux-Scvres  there  is  a  mode  of 
compression  different  from  tlie  deformation  toulousaiiie,  and 
otiu'r  examples  mii^ht  be  j^iveii  of  sucli  h)cal  customs.  It 
is  curious  to  find  a  practice,  wiiich  at  first  si(,dit  appears 
so  sir.in<,u.'.  existiiiL;  amon_L;st  tiie  ancient  races  of  Europe, 
recurriiiLj  anioiitj;  Asiatics,  as  well  as  amoni,'  the  most 
ancient  inhabitants  of  Aiiu'iici,  perpetuating  itself  not  only 
.imon;^f  the  Indians.'  or  the  wild  islanders  of  Polynesia,  but 
.ilso  .imonL;st  the  most  civilized  races  (jf  Kurope.  This 
similarity  between  the  most  different  races,  even  in  the 
most  L;r()tes(pie  pnictices,  is  a  fact  of  deep  sii;iiificai'ce, 
worthy  of  the  consideration  of  all  who  are  interested  in  the 
stud\'  of  humanity. 

Oiu'  (piestion     has     lieen    raised.      Was   this   depression 
al\\a_\s  \-oluntar\-,  or  was  it  often  the  result  of  a  inetlidd  eiii- 
pldwd  to  hold  or  to  f.isten   the  new-born?'    Garcilasso  de 
la  \'eL;a'  relates   that  .iiii(in-->t  the   reruvicUis  the  child  was 
al\\.i\-s  l.iid  in  a  wooden  frame,  furnished  with  plaited  curds, 
to  which  he  was  fastened  in  such  a  manner  as  to  check  all 
his  mo\ements  ;   he  w.is  never  taken  ;iut  of  this  bed.  even  to 
:4i\e  him  the  breast,  which  was  done  iv-ularl)-  three  tunes  a 
day.      W.is  the  llatteiiin-  of  the  --kull  the  result  of  this,  and 
mvoluiit.n-)-  ?    This  is  scarcely-  probable,  .md  it  .seems  certani 
that  tbesr'people  ihou-lit   to  add   to  their  beauty  by  such 
detormat  iims. 

Others  h.ive  i;one  further,  .md  l-'-'k  upon  it  .ns  a  con-eiiital 
peculi.iritv.     "  i  .im  not  afraid  to  a>.erl,"  >aid  Robert.son,^ 


'llcu-c    the   n.^me   cf   riaHu^uh  ^s.^   to  certain   I.uii.ins  of    .N-nilnveM 
.\n,c„ca.     CnnproMon   w,>,    pM.lulily   -u  c  a  general  cuMom  --'"^  "'^ 
ln,l,.u,s  of  .he  ,:ordnvc.t,  c  ,ec,:,Ily  U>,.-e  ,.f  N  ancn.ver's  Ishml.  .he    >  ^>(  - 
,(,,.1  TMn,p>i..n„  where  .he  perfect  f,>r,n  .^h.-  "' '-  '1'^'  "  "«^  "^    ,    O;^ 
.■h,n,i„ks,Sal,a,i.ins,e.c.      AnM,,,...!.  Imii.n.  of  .he  s„u.hern  L...tul  Male. 

ue  n),iy  mention  .he  Choctaw^  anil  (_'a'.iwb.i>. 
'  Conanl  :    '•  Footprints  nf  Van;.h.'ii  I^.k-c."  p.   1°= 
-Hist.   >ie.  Inea-.niis.le  IV.,,,,,"  ch..P.  ML.  I'^^'^'  '""^•t- 


('• 


I-.. 


\ 


\ 


516 


PKE.//IS TOA'/(  ■  .  / .1/AA7(  .I. 


iH 


1 


it  I 


the  Congros  do?  Amoricanistcs,'  "  thai  the  flattening;  i:^  the 
rcsiiU  not  of  an  artifici.il  compression,  but  of  a  law  of  na- 
This  is  cntinl)-  an  i  rror.  contradictini;'   alike  ptnsi- 


tur( 


oloL:ical 


aws 


and  historical   facts;   it  wouUl  scarceh'  (' 


esrrvc 


nu'iition.    if 


we  were  not    deternuned    to   place    before  our 


readers  .dl  the  hypotheses  which   have   been    put    in  circ 
tiiMi.  however  unfoundeil  the\"  nia\-  appe.ir. 


uia- 


W'e  have  now  uiven  a  suniniarv  of  the  cxistinir   informa- 


tion in  re'jartl  to  the   human   hones   found    in   Auieri 


ca,  anu 


which  are  su 


ppo>ed  to  date  from    pre-historic  times.     What 

What 


conchisions    ma\'  we  draw    Irom    these   tliscovi'rus.-' 
[general  laws  are  \\f  justitletl  in  e\'olvini;  from   them? 

ts  itself.     The  Am 


Oni 


encan. 


prnnar_\-  conchismn  n.iturally  presen 

no  matter  Iidw  remote  tlu'  antiipiity  to  which  he  m.i_\'  he  as- 

^i''ned.  h.u'dK-  differs  from   the   men   who    now    iidiahit  the 


and 


acnic. 


The  f.uina  and  tlu'  ll 


ora 


shori's  of  tile  Atlantii 
are  chani^ed  ;  climatic  and  bioloL;ical  conditions  have  under- 
i^nne  ])rofound  motlifications  ;  man  alone  if  not  entirel\'  un- 

without  serious  difftM-ences.  simi- 


chanL;rd  lias  yc\.   ri'mami. 
t.u'  ill  !ii>  boin-  franu worl 


l)alholo;j,ical  affrctioiis. 
to  tile    ^tern   laws  of 


similar  m  his  ])li\'si(Hie  and  n 


hi- 


.\er\\\  hei't-  he  ii.is 


had  to  suniiut 


life 


II. H 


■(  nil' 


throui-h    the  sanu 


stru;^L;lcs,  and  where  possible  he  has  been  levl  to  similar  i)ro- 
A  ^ecoinl  ciiiulusioii  i>  nil  less  important.      Hetween 


'rc'ss. 


the  men   of  tlu'  New  World  and  th 


( )se  I ) 


f  the  Old   there  ex- 


i>t.^ 


no    essential    physical    difference 


he    unit\'  t 


if    th 


huinaii   race  st.ind>  out   as  the    ureat    law    dominatinL;  the 


histi 


or\-  nf  hiinianit\- 


OMUbtl 


ess,  .IS  with 


A 


nurica   were    ma 


the  .ancient  races  of   Europe,  those  of 
de    up    (if    diverse   elements,   of  different 


v.irielies. 


A 


priiiiewil  diilichocei)halic  race  .appears  in  the 


tusl  in>t.ince  to  h.i\e  inv.uled  the  \ast   reLiions   included   be- 


tween   tlU'    t 


Wo    oCe.Ul- 


iie   men   < 


if   thi- 


race    were  coii- 


teinpnrary  with    the  liu-e  p.ichydermal    and    edentate  ani- 
1,    as    did   their  contemporaries    in    Europe,  they 


nial 


am 


'onluT  :  ' 


Itlil     lUlilcllT-,"    I 

IJull.  Soc.  .\iuli 


p.  -M- 


Jul 


luarv,    issi. 


i^ 


^« 


r 


i 


77//-;  vi:x  or  America. 


ii7 


p.isscd  through  tlic  various  phases  of  tlic  Stone  Age.  Other 
races  arrived  in  successive  migrations,  the  first  of  which 
doubtless  dated  from  very  remote  a<;es,'  and  brought  about, 
ainoiv^st  the  ancient  inliabitants  of  America,  modifications, 
analoj^ous  to  those  produced  in  luirope  by  similar  migra- 
tions. 

Doubtless  many  points  still  remain  obscure  and  insoluble  ; 
whichever  side  man  turns,  it  has  been  said,'  whether  he 
looks  into  the  past  or  into  the  future,  whether  he  scrutinizes 
the  sidereal  universe  or  interrogates  the  vestiges  and  muti- 
lated documents  of  the  histor)- of  life  on  this  planet,  if  he 
w  ishes  to  start  from  some  settleil  or  assured  point,  if  he 
seeks  an  immovable  f(Uiiul,ition,  a  coriur-stone,  he  will  not 
find  it.      We    readily  endorse   the>e  words;  man   by  his   un- 

le  the  tjreat  (Uiestions 


aidetl  powers  will  ne\er  be  able  to  sol\ 

of  our  orit^iii   ami    our  end.  of  primar}'  or  o 


f  fin 


11  causes. 


The  intelligence  of  Man,  houe\-er  admirable  it  may  bi. 
-.hown  to  be  by  the  ceaseless  i)rogfe-s  of  hunianit}-.  i>  hmited. 
The  infinite  stretches  before  him  :  man  is  unable  to  grasp  it. 


IK'iiCL'  we  linil   Mi 


iiiu 


1    ski 


ulhcrs  of  nioro  niodcin  tvpc. 


rhc  di 


form,  associated  with 
IV  of  liR-.csl<uIls,  with  char.u-teris!ics 


ills   wi;li    this   ancient 


iiuicli  like  those  of  the  luo-^t  ancient  of  the  pre 


■historic  tyjie  of  Kiirnpe,  would 


-eein    to  indie.itc   that   if   Anicri.a  was  |ie.i|ileil   l.y  emigration 


from  the  Old 


W 


Ollll 


that  e\eilt  must  have  taken  place  at  a  very 


:arly  time,  far  back  of  any 


if  which  we   have  any  recon 


1."     "  Letter  of   Dr.    i.apham  to  Dr.   Foster, 


Conant,  /( 

■'  I.  Sou 


,  p.  loS. 
:    "Int. 


list. 


I'rotistcs 


ll.eckc 


.      f 


V 


■^ 


I        M-' 


'  I'   ' 


, 


■  I 


^i 


!' 


niAI'TI-.K    X. 

nil',    oRKilN    <>!■    MAN    IN    AMlRliA. 

I\  tile  prcccdin;^  pat^cs  '  \vc  have  reviewed  tlie  exist iiv^^ 
knowleilye  of  ancient  man  in  Ainericti.  His  temples,  f(irl- 
res.scs,  d\vellini;s.  monuments.  Ui,  icultur.d  and  hxdr.iulic 
works,  his  personal  characteristics,  and  e\en  the  relics  of  his 
dinners  have  been  described  in  det.iil.  This  task  bein;^' 
ended  the  inevitable  (|ue>lion  pri'sents  itself:  Who  and 
whence  was  this  primitive  man  ?  W'.is  he  orii^inal  to  tlu'  soil 
of  the  New  World?  If  not,  howdid  he  re.ich  it,  and  what 
was  the  cradle  of  his  r.ice  ' 

It   nia\-  be  static!   at    the   outset    that   our    knowledi^e  of 
])riniitive  m,ui   in    Aineric.i   suffices  <iul_\-   to   deciile  th.it   he 
existed  here,  in  a  state  of  the  lowest  b.u'barism  and  but  little 
elevatetl  above  the  brutes,  at   an  exceedingly  distant  epoch. 
While  in    this   condition    he  h,is    left    his    traces   o\-er  both 
Anuricis,  and   that   .il    .i   time  which  was  probably  cnnteni- 
pnr.uunus  witli    tlu;   exi-^tence  df  tlu'   mammoth  ((■/</'//(?.v)  if 
not  with  it-,  peril, ip^  -^umrw  h.ii   dlder  re'l,iti\-e,  tlu-  mastudnu. 
Ihat  this  priiniti\e  ni.in  u.i^  luit   oriL^inal   to  America  i-> 
])robal)li'  on   bioloL^ical   i^rdimds.       With   tho-^e   who   believe 
in  tin-  ^poiitaiuous    L^eiieratiDH   of    l.irL;e,   hiL;hl)-    ori^.inized 
maiiun.ils  out  of   innrL^.uiic    in.iteri.d,  we  li,i\t'  no  arL;ument. 
'I  hose  who  accei)t   tlir   results  of  science,  believin;^  th.il  the 
present    lawful  secpi.  iice    of  or-Miiic    n.iture   is    .it    once   .m 
exemplar  and  ejiituinc  uf  the  jiro-ressof  nature  in  the  past, 
and  that  the  methods  of  thr  Author  .if  nature  are  best  com- 
prehended by  stud>in,-  tlinn  .iii.l   their  results,     will  better 
comprehend  tlie\\eiL;ht    ..f  tlu-   re.is.,nin>'    1)\- which  we  are 


•  i'.T  the  present  ihantor  lli.-  Ami.thum  iMitor  i,  chiolly  ir-ponMhle. 

US 


•  i  M 


77/ Ji   0A'/(,7X  or  .U.IX  IN  AMERICA. 


5'9 


k-(l  to  decide  against  the  existence  of  autochthonous  man  in 
the  New  W'orhl. 

The  naturalist  thus  far  has  met  with  no  traces  of  the 
hi<,fher  anthropoid  animals  in  vXmerica  either  recent  or 
tossil.  The  American  monkeys,  it  is  admitted,  are  of  a  rela- 
tivily  low  structural  rank. 

On  the  other  hand  in  various  parts  of  the  Old  World, 
cspi'ciall\-  in  Africa  and  some  of  the  Asiatic  islands,  anthro- 
poid animals  approximatiuL;  much  more  nearly  to  man  in 
physical  structure  ari'  well  known  to  exist.  The  fossil  remains 
of  .uithropoids  of  a  tolerabl}-  advanced  type  are  also  more 
numerous,  thouL;h  these  fossils  are  of  such  a  nature,  and  the 
rci^ion  possesses  such  climatic  features,  as  to  render  their 
preser\'ation  at  all  r.ither  a  happ\^  accident  than  an  occur- 
rence to  be  confideiitl)-  anticipated.  The  insain'tar\-  and 
tropic. d  character  of  the  countries  mentioned  is  also  a  serious 
ohstacK-  in  the  \\\\\  of  ideological  research  and  the  collection 
of  fossil  remains  which  mi;4ht  be  happily  preserved  \\\ 
l.Uer  formations. 

No  biolooist  of  sl.iudin;;,  we  belie\-e.  would  affirm  that  (he 
physical  structure  of  primiti\e  man  was  developed  Irom  that 
of  the  anthropoid  .mim.ils  now  in  existence,  or  now  known 
to  have  existed.  Hut,  other  things  beinir  eipial.  it  is  prob- 
able that  such  a  i)hysical  structure  would  find  more  favor- 
able opportunities  for  its  evolution  in  a  re,^ion  favorable 
to  the  evolution  of  allied  types;  such  .is  the  countries  re- 
ferred to  are  proved  to  be.  not  only  by  the  actu.il  occur- 
rence of  such  t\-pes.  but  in-  tli.-  climate  and  eatable  products 
which  would  serve- as  susten.iiue. 

What  chan-es  in  the  area  of  l.uul  and  w.itor  have  taken 

I   ,„.„,  appeared  upon  the  earth 
list  take  this  un- 


pl.ice  since  the  proi^enitoi-  c 

we   do   not    know.  a\m\   ain-  liypothesis  m 

certainty    into    account,      WvA    iiul-in;'-   from    the   (acts  as 

km.wn(ouswe..reM,-.t.ti.d   i.  .iecidini^  aj^amst  the  p.ob- 

al)ilitv  of  an  Amencui  oW-in  for  the  human  race. 

Kxcav.aK.nsintlie,nidden.,inclshell.heapsotalF2^^^ 
the  worhl  imlicate  .h,,t  nun.  a.  an  epoch  when  Ins  ctiltui. 


I    ■'.    .!    ' 


:li 


520 


PKK-JIIS  TOh'/i  ■  .■/  .!//•- AV(  A. 


I         '  ,1 


^!        ' 


1      / 


was  (if  the  lowest.  li;ul  already  cxtLMidod  liis  fjoorrraphical 
rani^c  over  an  inmiensc  area.  It  is  iinpossihk'  to  fix  ,i  date 
for  this  cNlcnsion  of  tlie  race  or  to  aj)])!)-  .iii_\-  othir  than 
an.  approximate  i;eolo;^ieal  chroiioh),L;\-  to  tin-  period  of  hi-, 
wandcritiL^s  and  Ids  Ltintliets  with  the  ea\e  bear,  tlic  reindeer, 
and  the  inainnioth. 

It  must  .dso  be  reniemberetl  that  the  duration  of  the  state 
of  euhure  we  refer  to  was  \er_\-  inucpial  in  differc-nt  reL;ioiis 
•uid  probabl)'  witli  (hfferent  races  or  ideographical  assein- 
bhiLjes  of  men.  To  thi--  da_\'  in  tlie  ri'inoti'  eorners  of  the 
I'.irlh  it  >till  per>i>ls  and  doubtles'^  i>  not  vvvy  diitereiit  frnm 
tliat  whicli  eh,ir.icteri/ed  the  promnitors  of  the  .\r_\Mii  race 
before  llie  earliest  dawn  of  ei\  ili/.ation  anywhere.  It  i^ 
notable  that  this  persistence  of  saxai^ery  L;<)es  hand  in  hand 
with  an  iidiospitable  em  ironnuiU.  We  find  it  in  the  bli'ak 
and  ic_\'  desert^  of  the  north  ;  in  the  fanune-siricke'ii  wi'.iU  nf 
Tierra  l*"ue;4o,  where  the'  stru_L;i;le  for  nu're  existence  is  so 
bitter  that  unproductive  mend)irs  of  the  communit)-  ,ue 
pronipth'  swept  awa>'  b_\'  cannihali>m  :  .nul  n\\  the  arid  sands 
ot  .\ustralia,  where  the  mo-^t  e\traordinar\' ile\ices  to  secure 
intertilit)-  in  most  of  the  male  members  of  a  b.md.have  been 
rooited  to  in  the  attempt  to  repress  population  within 
limits  approximated  to  the  ^uppl\-  of  footl. 

h'roni  this  fact  we  may  sujjjxise  that  anionp^  those  men 
gifted  with  a  tendenc\-  to  pro;_jress.  such  of  them  as  found 
themselves  in  a  hos])itab]e  einironnient  would  tend  to 
advance  in  culture.  On  the  contrarw  thosi'  who  had  to 
strui^Ljle  for  .1  bare  exi>lence  and  li\'e  in  a  constant  state 
of  reaction  trom  their  surroundini;s,  would  tind  no  time 
for  culture  except  that  direct!)-  applicable  to  their  sus- 
tenance, and  would  be  more  likel)-  to  spend  an  occasional 
breathiuL^^-spell  in  idleness  or  sensual  pleasure  than  in  in- 
ventive or  ;esthetic  work,      h'or  all,  in   their  t:arly  stages  of 

culture,  long  enduring,  intense  labor  was  the  price  of  ever\- 

thing. 

At    first  lawless,  hardly  even  social,   chiefs    and    leader^, 
except    us   heads    of    families,  were    unknown.      Religious 


^■t-rvVl-ri-.     «... 


THE    ORIGIM   01-    MAX   IX  AMERhA. 


521 


osc  men 


no  time 


casioii.ii 


idra-^  at  lliis  stac^c  couUl    haicll\-  rxist  ;    llic  family  turned 
to    its    Iratlcr    as    the    herd    turns  to  the  stin-dicst  bull;  a 


cnKit' 


and  unthinking  materialism  horn  of  m, 


ui  s  relation  as 


a  |)iT\-in_t 


animal   to  th 


e  world  .ihout  him  coiisuiered  as  a 


w  Ik 


)urL'e  of  suppl)',  with  occasional  irrational  stampedes,  as  of 
)rses,  from  sudden  alarms  heLjotteii  of  unfamiliar 
pluiiomena  ;  a  terror  of  the  darkne>>,  of  the  swift  torrent,  of 
the  falling;'  trt'e  or  avalanche  ;  ra^je,  ji'alous}-.  fear;  the  pair- 
in-'  instinct  ;  _L;luttony  ;  thesr,  and  such  as  these,  were  the 
li_L;"hts  and  sh.ules  in  tlu-  mental  radiations  of  the  sava^'e 
hraiii.      I'ro^ress  from  the  rial   or  forniali/ed  f.unily  to  the 


oand 


or 


ckiii,  and  so  upward,  wnuh 


foil 


OW 


its  pi 


lases 


ha\( 


been   classitled    1)\- the   l.uiiented  Morijan  and  man\- others. 


00   o 


ft  en, 


howe\i 


r,  tlu 


\iew  o 


avairerx-  li.i- 


bceii  sn 


b- 


jected  to  a  strange    relraclioii   m  pciutnitin.L^' the  liaze  oi  a 


f 


Liter  culture  which   surrounds  tin 
last  d.i_\s  are  we  C(uue  to  recoL^ni/e.  t 
primitive  sa\'aL;e  in 


il).-i'r\er.     ('iii\-  m 


the 


\cn  now  hut  diiiih-,  the 
liis   lair.     As  man  developed  culture  he 


was 


perhaps   more   successful,  more  ph\->icall\' com 


fort: 


but  not  more  hap] 
I 


)V 


t  max-  be  saitl  that  physical  cnnifort, 


,1  :ul 


IK- 


■  inc 


,1   warm,  we 


lia])piness  o 


fortl 


fori 


mole 


-taniud  robe,  is  the  liiL,^liest 
f  a  sava-e.     We  think  thi.  ini-ht  have  been  true 

comfortable,  but  not 

t..  ihi-.ilc  and  to  dream.     .V 

,f  them  than  the 


le  primitive  savage,  w  h 


o  W.l- 


us  successor  who  had  hoL^un 


is  probal)l\'  hai)pier  than  a  f"\,  eitlur  1 


pruniti\e  man  wh 


o  had  i)e!.' 


nil  to  vMie^tion 


nature. 


1  he  prnuitue   man   was  .1 
ternu'  before  dan_i;ers  which  hi 
not  jjuard   against.'     .Natuiv 


,Ia\c   t^   nature,  ni  co 


ntiiuial 


no 


tuidcr 


Uand  anil  coulii 


IWm  was  an  ap])a 


III"'  ni\-: 


tery  out  of  who>e  bowels  .ui}- tiling  i!ii;_; 
alia/.e  of  fetichism.      N"!   a  hat  rai,:li 


ht  issue. 


Jle  hveilm 


t  flutter,  not  a  ra 


bbit 


10  di-,ta!it   tliiuu!''r  m 


cross   the   path,  1 

seen,  but  heralded  to  hini  some  .1 


IJ.  or  raven  croak  un- 
,i,it  onlv  too  malij^Mi. 


Those  wlio  have  o'l 
villas^e  of  savaL;es  the  m 
the  wild  unfounded  n!.'i  > 


m    a  ei- 
;t  a'arm^ 


;tant  camp  or  I'e 


mote 


the  wliisperc 


d  fcan 


r-,  llie   CO 


wcrin^c 


Prof.  W.  G.  Sumner 


.\1)K':k' 


,111  Review, 


■  before  tlic  n^os^ 

Iiinc,  iSS4. 


f 


a 


11 


,  'H' 


5- 


PKE-IIIS Ti ^RIC  .  \M ERICA. 


\      , 


I:      I 


simple  pliysical  jiliciiomcn;)  if  only  imfrtHiuont, — only  those 
can  have  a  rcaliziiii;  sense  of  the  hori\)rs  nature  enfolds  fur 
the  ignorant  yet  thinking  savage.  Hut  it  is  not  our  purpose 
to  trace  tlu  stages  of  mental  culture,  a  task  for  which  [he 
material  is  yet  imperfect  ;  though  glimmerings  of  the  tniili 
have  lately  broken  through  the  mists  of  misconception  which 
have  so  long  prevailed. 

I'or  the  purpose  of  the  conservative  ethnologist,  desiring 
to  give  to  the  public  .i  general  view  of  what  is  known  (u 
surmised  with  a  tlcgree  of  probability  on  this  difficult  topic, 
it  w  ill  suffice  if  wc  allude  to  the  ph\-sical  characteristics  (if 
the  ilifferent  pathua\-s  to  the  American  continent,  to  the 
indications  of  successive  waves  of  migration  in  America  and 
their  lines  of  march  ;  and  brietl)'  refer,  as  a  in.itti'r  of  curi- 
osity, to  the  m_\ths  of  origin  of  some  American  tribes;  and. 
a:-  a  warning  to  the  i.nthusiast.  to  some  of  the  preposterous 
and  unscientific  hypotheses  which  men  of  gooil  literar\- 
standing,  but  without  sound  anthro])t)logical  training,  have 
adopted  and  di-^seminated. 

The  pli\sical  characteristics  of  the  American  aborigines 
are  generall\-  admitted  to  jjoint  tow.ird  affinities  with  people 
belonging  to  the  Pacific  region,  rather  than  with  those  bor. 
dcring  the  opposite  coasts  of  the  Atlantic  basin.  The 
nomads  antl  fiNliermeii  of  Siberia  are  more  like  lu'perboreans 
than  aii_\-  existing  lluropean  jieople,  and  certain  features  re- 
call the  Melanesi.ui  inhabitants  of  the  Pacific  islands  rather 
th.m  the  African  negro  races. 

The  approxiniatidii  of  Asi;i  and  America  at  Bering  .Strait 
lends  probabilil)- til  this  hypothesis  on  the  north,  and  the 
])revalent  wiiuls  and  currents  together  with  the  distribution 
of  islands,  help  it  on  the  south.  It  has  been  shown 'that 
the  route  to  America  n',!  Bering  Strait  is  feasible  (though 
that  so  often  referred  to,  :■/,?  the  Aleutian  Islands,  is  nott, 
and  in  glacial  times  if  the  shallow  waters  near  the  strait 
were,  as  there  is  some  reason  to  suppose,  filled  with  grountled 

'  Contributions  to  "North  AnuTuan  Eihiioiogy,"  vol.  I.,  \V.-ishingtiin,  1S77, 


Tin:  oNiaix  or  m  i.v  /y  .lui-.rica. 


523 


i\-i',  tlicro  is  110  reason  wliy  \)vn\)\v  likr  the  Eskimo  of  the 
|)i(sciit  (lay,  or  even  Iowlt  in  the  scale,  inii^ht  not  make 
tluir  \\a\-  ah)ii<,'  this  temporary  bri(lj,'c  and  subsist  on  tlic 
ni.iiinr  animals  which  prohalily  swarnicil  alon^t;  its  borders. 

( )n  the  other  liaiid,  a  knowled^rc  of  navi_L,'.iti()n  no  better 
than  that  ])osscssih1  at  present  by  thi-  lowest  people  of  Me- 
laiusia  woultl  have  iMiabled  a  migration  on  the  line  of  the 
thirtieth  paralK' I,  south,  to  reach  the  coast  of  South  America 
and,  in  time,  to  ijive  it  a  considerable  population.  A  differ- 
ent distribution  of  land  and  water  from  that  at  present  ex- 
i^tini;.  is  ;i  possible  f.ictor  in  the  problem,  but  of  which  it  is 
too  r.irl)-  in  ocean  explor.ition  to  a\-.u'l  ourselves. 

.Scpuer,  (lihbs,  and  numerous  other  American  ethnolot,fists 
belie\ed  in  a  mii^ration  from  tlu-  wi'st  to  South  America. 
A  northern  mi,L:jration  is  almost  universally  considered  to 
li,i\e  taken  pi. ice.  I'robabl)'  the  American  races  entered  In- 
both  _L;.ites. 

( )f  tluir  s[)re. id   .d'u  rward   it   is  impns^ible  to  speak  with 
confidence,  except  as  to  the  f.ict  that  they  did  spread  over 
both  Americ.is  while  in  .1  \-ery  low  .st.ii;e  of  culture.     I  his  js 
undeniable.    More  th.m  this  it  is  likely  will  never  be  certain. 
Th.it  the  nations  of  to-da\'  wliicli  n^w  populate  the  western 
sliMiTs  of  the  r.icitk  and  many  of  it.  i>l.inds  were,  either  in 
pli\>i(pie  or  culture,  the  .ainc  as  we  know  them  is  as  little 
likely    as   th.at    the    ori-inal    invaders  of  America  had   the 
culture  of  the  A/.tecs  or  the  p!iysi(|ue  of  the  Apaches.     To 
->av  then  tlKit  the  Anieric.ni.  aie  derived  frn.n  the  Chinese, 
th'e  J.ipanese,  the  Malav.  or  the   rolynesi.uis.  is  hi-lilv  un- 
scientific  and  iiKiccur.ile.      I  l,>  .^reticiKy  it  is  probable  that 
the  lan.^ua-e,  the  phvM.pie.  the  M.ial  and  religious  culture, 
.uul  the  ^^couraphic.d'di.lributinn  .-f  all  these  P^'"Pl'-'-y';;^^' 
uiulerc^onc   nidic.d  changes  since  that  early  tnne,  and    ha^ 
since  "their   present  stages  ,,r  any  approximation  to  t  cm 
luve  been  attained,  nu^ratio,.  tu  America  has  not  been 

'-n-^successive  waves  of  mi..ionoc.i.^^^^^^^^ 
r,:,ls..„  t,.il,ml,t,  ..ml  i::l  'I'"'-  «'«"»'"- 


'! 


5^4 


PKE.If/STOKIC  AMEh'/CA. 


r,n 


hlM 


l^niius  differed  to  some  extent  in  culture  and  in  race  is 
hii^iily  i)robable,  but  that  tlie  distinct i\ely  American  culture 
which  may  bo  traced  from  the  shell-heap  to  the  mound, 
from  the  mound  to  the  pueblo,  from  the  pueblo  to  the 
structures  of  Mexico,  Central  America,  aiul  Peru,  irresi)ec- 
tivc  of  race, — that  this  is  indebted  to  an  icpiivalent  foreif:jn 
culture  for  its  chief  feature-;,  is  utterly  incapable  of  proof  in 
fact  and  highly  improbable  in  theory. 

That,  irrespective  of  race  as  indicated  by  physical  and 
linj^uistic  characteristics,  certain  distinctive  items  of  culture 
have  spread  over  v/ide  j^eoi^rapliii  al  areas  in  America,  has 
lately  been  -ufificiently  shown,'  and  it  is  highly  probable  that 
something  similar  will  prove  to  be  true  of  many  more. 
From  the  nature  of  the  human  mind  and  the  n.itur.d  direc- 
tion of  its  evolution,  follow  very  similar  results  uj)  to  a  cer- 
tain more  or  less  advanced  stage  in  all  parts  of  the  world. 
At  that  stage,  wherever  it  may  differenti.ite  itself  in  the  nor- 
mal line  of  progress,  begin  those  features  which  character- 
ize a  stock  or  race  as  opposed  to  man  in  general.  Color  was 
probably  the  first  feature  to  become  distinctive,  other  modi- 
fications of  physique  in  turn  responded  to  the  environment, 
and  this  process  can  hardly  be  said  to  have  ceased  even 
among  the  most  civilized  races.  It  is  a  normal  natural  pro- 
cess, such  as  might  be  traced  among  the  brutes.  Hut  when 
nicui's  mental  powers  had  reached  a  \w\\\\.  when  he  could 
look  to  posterity  as  well  as  ancestry,  when  he  could  crystal- 
lize his  ideas  in  stone  to  convey  his  methods  and  memory 
to  future  generations,  then  a  new  category  of  facts  by  which 
he  might  be  classified,  arose,  and  by  these  is  he  most  truly 
differentiated. 

The  ordinary  idea  of  race  is  a  consensus  of  facts  relating 
to  the  two  categories,  and  as  a  means  of  classification  more 
or  less  confusing,  although  at  present  the  best  we  have. 
That  a  better  will  be  found  eventually  there  is  little  doubt. 

"On  masks,  labrets,  ami  certain  aboriginal  customs,  with  an  enquiry  int' 
the  bearing  of  their  geographical  ilistributiuu"  Third  annual  report,  Bureai 
of  Ethnology,  8    Washington,  1884. 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  MAX  IN  AMERICA. 


525 


The  orif;ins  of  l;in{T„aprc  bclonrr  to  the  first  catcgor>',  its 
final  (liffcrL-ntiatioiis  to  the  second.  Hy  the  introduction  of 
\vriti^^^  different  Ian<,nia},'es  liave  been  petrified,  so  to  speak, 
in  various  sta^^es  more  or  less  mature. 

My  the  physical  cate^'ory,  .America  t,nvcs  evidences  of 
mail)-  races,  not  to  mention  innimierable  linguistic  stocks;  by 
the  mental  cate<rory  a  much  greater  degree  of  unity  is  indi- 
cated, as  we  think  will  be  evident  to  those  who  have  fol- 
lowed the  author  thr()ui;h  the  preceiling  ])ages.  It  will  be 
still  more  plain  to  those  wln)  have  kept  abreast  of  the  recent 
wonderful  progress  in  the  essentials  of  American  anthro- 
P'>log\',  too  recent,  too  extensive,  and  still  in  part  too  tenta- 
li\e,  to  be  summarized  here. 

Attention  has  been  frecpiently  called  in  the  preceding 
pages  to  the  similar  manner  in  which  similar  needs  were  met, 
similar  artistic  ideas  ilevel()i)ed,  and  similar  results  attained 
by  people  in  Vvidely  separated  parts  of  tlie  globe.  'I'liat 
from  these  similarities,  no  special  homologies  can  be  drawn, 
is  a  fundamental  canon  of  sciiiititic  anthropology,  from  the 


neglect  of  which  science  has  suffered  much.  That  these 
facts  testify  to  the  fundamental  uin'ty  of  tlie  human  race  and 
to  tlu'  analogous  processes  of  iNnlutioM  through  which  dis- 
tinct communities  have  reached  a  higher  plane  of  culture  is 
gnu'rally  admitted,  but  in  the  absence  of  connecting  links 
tl 


leir  SI < '■111 


fican 


ce  goes  no 


fartl 


ler. 


ly  in   tl 


le 


mat 


That  these  analogies  .should  be  found,  not  mere 
terial  nroilucts  of  the  man's  hands  and  brain,  but  also  be- 


tween his  conceptions,  Kgeiuls,  an 
orune.\i)ected.   Im-oiu  man\- sucluaM's 
are  se 


d  m\-ths,  is  not  surpri 


SIIU 


the  following  instances 


lectcd  with  the  caution  that  for  them  we  arc  depend- 


ent  upon  writers  not  always  free  from  men 
often  derived  their  information  from  iiulividii 


tal  bias,  and  who 


lis 


who  !iad 


been   subjected  to  mi>sioi 


lar 


\-  leachini 


aiu 


1  wcxii  more  or 


less  familiar  with  the  m\  tlis  and  let 
Notwithstanding  these  dis.ulvantages.  1 
encral  belief,  for  inst.mce,  in  a  deluge  or 


.■nds  of  the  superior  race, 
t  will  be  seen  that  a 


flood 


is   WK 


lely 


spread  among  American  races 
to  Christian  teaching. 


aiid  can 


hardiv  be  attributed 


f4J 


,1) 


'|.*-i!|i 


•  \^  m 


.  Hh 


!.      )fl    I 


i!       W 


I'l 


.'II 


526  PRE.HISTORIC  AMERICA. 

Ixtlilxochitl,  the  Christian  descendant  of  the  ancient 
rulers  of  Anahuac.  relates  that  after  the  dispersion  of  tlu; 
human  race  which  succeeded  the  attenij-zt  at  buildiii;;  the 
Tower  of  Habel  (which  lie  had  learned  from  his  Catholic  ii). 
structors),  se\cn  Toltecs  reached  America,  and  became  tlu- 
parents  of  a  numerous  race.  The  Oqi'.iches  speak  of  w  hitc 
men  who  came  from  the  land  o[  the  sun.'  The  people  of 
Yucatan  believed  that  their  ancestors  had  come  from  tlir 
East,  across  a  L^^reat  body  o{  water  that  God  had  dried  up  to 
let  them  pass  over. 

r'rom  the  East,  too,  came  Zamna.  the  disciple  and  emul.i- 
tor  of  Votan,  and  Cukulcan.  the  founder  of  Chichen-Itza, 
probably  the  same  person  as  Ouetzacoatl.'  Hoth  preached 
celibacy  anil  asceticism  to  the  people  of  ^'ucatan,  and  were 
claimed  to  be  the  initiators  of  their  culture.  At  their  death 
the  grateful  people  erected  temples  to  them,  and  adored 
them  as  gods.' 

There  are  also  some  interesting  traditions  amongst  the  In- 
dians. The  Shawnees  are  said  to  have  claimetl  that  the  an- 
cient inhabitants  of  l-'loriila  were  white,  and  that  when  the)- 
arri\ed  in  the  couiUr\-  the)'  founil  there  buildings  and  cuv 
toins.  witli  a  civilization  \er\-  uidike  their  own.  'I'he  Xalclie/ 
believeil  that  they  receixed  tlu  ir  religion  and  their  laws  from 
a  man  and  woman  sent  by  tiie  sun.'  The  Tuscaroras  are 
said  to  possess  a  legendar\'  chronolog\-  going;  back  nearly 
three  thousand  years;  according  to  them,  their  fathers  were 
natixes  of  tb.e  extreme  north,  of  districts  far  beyond  the 
Creat  Lakes,  the)-  established  themselves  upon  the  .St. 
Lawrence;  a  strange  peojjle  came  1)\'  sea,  auu  long  and 
bloody  wars  ensuetl  between  them  ami  the  new  arrivals.  It 
is  probable  that  all  these  traditions  have  some  foundation  in 
truth. 


'  Brasseur  de  liourbourg;   "  Hibt.   lies  nat,  ins  civilisces  du  Mexique  et  de 
i'\.nLMiiiuc  Centrale,"  vol.  1.,  pji.  10;,  106,  i(/6. 

'  Lukukan  and  Quetzacoall  Ijutli  >i^iiify  tlu-  s,-rp,'iil  covered  -aith  feathers. 
Laiula :  "  KeKaiuii  de  lasi.'osi^  dc  Yucatan,"  p.    2S.      Hcrrara  :    "  Hisl. 
Cc.i.  dc  lo.-i  Castellauos  en  la^  I^las  i  Tii'iia  Kirnie  del  Mar  Ckeano,"  dec.  I\  ., 
Iwk  IV.,  chap,  II.     Cotjolludo  :   "  Hist,  de  Yucatan,"  p.  178. 

Imrntz;  "  llUl.  of  I.caisiana,"  vri.   II,,  p.  175,  London,  1703. 


THE   ORIGIN  OF  MAN  IN  AMERICA. 


527 


In  South  America  \vc  also  find  accounts  wliich  attribute 
the  origin  of  the  people,  or  at  least  that  of  their  civilization, 
to    strangers.       The    Peruvians   attribute  their  progress  to 
iManco-Capac  and   to  the  beautiful  Mama-CEllo,  his  sister 
and  his  wife,  who  had  crossed  the  sea  to  their  country.'    In 
another  part  of  Tcru   it  was  believed  that  three  eg^L,^s  had 
fallen  from  the  sky;  the  first  was  of  <;old.  the  second  of 
silver,    the    third    of   co[)per.      iM-om   the  first  sprang  the 
Caracas  or  chiefs,  from  tlie  second  the  nobles,  and  from  the 
third  the  people."     Another  tradition  relates  that  a  white 
man,  wearing  a  long  beard,  had  taught  the  inhabitants  the 
art  of  building  houses  and  sowing  seeds,  after  which  he  dis- 
appeared, to  live  for  two  thousand  years  in  retreat  before  re- 
appearing upon  the  earth. 

The  Guaranis  relate  that  two  brothers,  Tupi  and  Guarani, 
landetl  on  the  shores  of  J^razil  after  a  great  flood,  with  their 
women  and  children,  and  it  is  from  them  that  sj)rung 
the  races  bearing  their  iianies." 

either  traditions  allude  to  convulsions  of  nature,  to  inuii- 
tlations,  anil  profound  disturbances,  to  terrible  deluges, 
in  the  midst  of  which  mountains  and  volcanoes  suddenly 
rose  up.  Some  of  these  legends  relate  to  a  universal  flood, 
a  myth  "  spread  throughout  the  New  World,  from  one  pole, 

so  to  s])eak,  to  the  other."  ' 

We  reproduce  as  ne.u-ly  as  possible  the  naive  account 
given  by  Bishop  Laiida.'  "The  water"  he  says  "then 
became  swollen,  and  tlure  was  a  great  inundation,  which 
reached  to  the  top  of  the  liead^  of  the  inhabitants;  they  were 
covered  with  water,  and  a  thick  resin  came  (Imvn  from 
'  'Squicr:  •■  IVru,  Inciacu's  of  •rrav.l  and  Exploration  in  the  Land  of 
""  Avcmlano  :  "  Scrm.,"  1X„  ,..  .00.  Desjardins:  "  l.e  I'crou  avan,  la  con- 
•CuevLra:     "lilt,    d.l    P.ua.uay.    o,   la   col.    II.s..  Argent.na,      ^ol.   T., 

^■'n'Kichtal  :  "  Kttule,  mu  Ic.  originc.  Honddhiques,"  ist  1-;|:  i;j^  ,,, 

'  ••  Kclac.on  de  las  Co..  dc  Vuca.an.-     Dic.o  de    .anda.  a  hancscan  n,onl. 
of  the  hou.se  of  Caldcinn.  w..-  th^'  ^cond  l.idiop  of  .Mencla. 


i?l 


528 


PKE-HISTOA'IC  AMERICA. 


1         f 


^T%^ 


the  sky.  The  face  of  the  jarth  was  darkened,  and  a  black 
rain  began  ;  rain  b)'  da\',  rain  by  night,  and  there  was  a 
great  noise  above  their  heads.  Tlien  were  seen  men  running 
and  pushing  each  other  ;  tllleil  with  despair,  they  wanteii 
to  chmb  the  trees  ami  the  trees  flung  them  far  from  them  ; 
they  wanted  to  eriter  the  caves  and  tlie  caves  fell  in  before 
them." 

riic  Chimalpopoca  Codex  '  also  gives  an  account  of  a  tlel- 
uge,  in  whicli  men  perisi;ed,  and  were  changed  into  fish.     In 
one  day  the  earth  disappeared  ;  the  loftiest  mountains  were 
covered  with  water,  and  remained  beneath  the  billows  for  a 
whole  spring.     Hut   beft)re  this  disaster,  Titlahuacan,  one  of 
the  Nahua  gods,  oiicn  called  Tezcatlipoca,  had  called  Nata 
and  liiswife  Xena.     "  Do  not  bus\'  yourselves  any  longer,"  he 
said  to  them,  "  in  m.d<ing  puhiue,'  but  in  the  month  Tozotli 
hew  out  a  large  c}'press,  and  when  you  see  the  waters  rising 
toward  the  sky.  make  it  y.uir  home."     Nata  and  Ncna  obeyed 
these  divine  orders.      They  fed  upon   maize  during  the  time 
when  their  boat  floated  on  the  water  ;  at  the  end  of  the  allot- 
ted time  this  boat  stood  still,  ;uul  for  tlie  first  time  the>-  saw  a 
few  fish.     'riu\-  Imstenetl  to  seize  them   ami  to   roast  them 
on  a  fire,  which   the\-  m.ule  hy  rubljing  two  pieces   of  wood 
together.      Hut    the  gods  complainetl    of    the   smoke   which 
readied  them,  .uid  the  irritated  Titlahuacan    hurried  to  the 
earth,  and  changed  the  fish  into  dogs. 

Anotlier  Mexican  tradition  '  tells  us  that  Coxcox  and  his 

'  Bancroft  /.  c. ;  vol.  III.,  p.  6(). 

"  X  fermonletl  drink  nuulc  wiih  the  sup  of  tlic  aloe,  .md  known  in  Mexico, 
where  it  is  s  ill  in  use,  uinkr  the  name  of  ,'■///. 

MVe  i^ive  iJlavigero's  version,  lepro.hiceil  by  Humboldt  and  Lord  Kmtjsbo- 
ruiii^h  ;  but  ai-cordint;  to  more  recent  works  it  is  a  mistaken  interpretation  of 
the  map  (,f  (iemalli  Carrcri  (Churchill  "Coll.  of  Voyages,"  vol.  IV.),  from  which 
it  is  borrowed.  The  painting  .ledicated  to  this  tradition  would  represent  the 
departure  and  migrations  of  a  tril)e  anvmyst  the  lakes  of  .Anahuac.  We  see  a 
bir.l  perilled  upon  a  tree,  and  at  the  foot  of  this  tree  a  crow<l  of  men  all  looking 
one  way  and  ready  to  start  on  their  journey.  The  name  of  this  bird,  Tihnilo- 
'/;<;«,  and  its  cry,  /V/;;*;,  which  signilies  in  .Aztec  langu.age  //V  tii list  start,  arc 
I'robablythe  origin  of  the  legend  which  we  relate  ;  but  it  is  not  mentioned  by 
uiy  o(  the  more  ancient  historians,  such  as  Sahagun,  .Mendiela,  or  IxtliUochitl. 


1 


TIIK    ORIGIN  OF  MAX  LV  AMERICA. 


529 


;i  black 
was  a 
runiiiiij^r 

wantrtl 
thcMli  ; 
before 


K^cr,"  he 
Tozotii 


lex  ICO, 


wife    Xochiquctzal  alone    escaped  the   deluge ;    they  took 
refu^^e    in    the    hollow    trunk    of   a   cypress,   which  floated 
upon    the    water,    and    stopped    at    last    on    the   top    of  a 
mountain    of  Culhuacan.      Thex-    IkuI    many   children,  but 
the  cliiklren  were  dumb.     The  great  sjiirit   took  pity  on 
them  and   sent   them  a   dove  to  teacli  them  to  speak ;  this 
dove   hastened    to    fulfil    its  mission  ;    fifteen    of   Coxcox's 
children  succeeded  in  understanding  it,  and  it  is  from  them 
that  the  Toltecs,  Aztecs,  and  Acolhuas  are  descended.     We 
meet  with  a  legend  somewhat  like  this  in  Michoacan  ;  only 
the  name  of  the  man  preser\-ed  from  the  deluge  is  different ; 
he  is  called  Tespi.  and  the  bird  that  is  the  harbinger  of  fine 
weather  is  a  humining-l)ird.     In   (iuatemala  and  California 
the  most  ancient  traditions  of  the  nati\cs  preser\-c  the  nicm- 
or\'  of  a  great  inundation  ;  and  acconling  to  tlu-  inhabitants 
of  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuante])ec,  the  wi^rld  was  repei)plcd  by 
a  man  and  woman  rescued  from  the  waters  that  co\ered  tiie 
whole  countr\'. 

'I'he  Peruvians  also  have  several  legends  relating  to  a  great 
deluge.      At    (Juito.it    is  said   thai   in  \er\- remote  ages  the 
waters  had  iiuad.'d  the  land,  as  a  punishment  for  the  crimes 
of  men  ;  a  few  of  them  had   been  -pared,  and  these  had  re- 
tired  to  a  wooden  hou-e  011  the  toj)  of  I'ichincha.     At  Cuzco 
the  sun    interferetl,  and    hid   tlio-e  who  were  to  be  saved  ni 
the  Island  of  Titieaca.     Aeeoreling  to  a  tradition  preserved 
at  P.icbaeam.ie.  the  entire  eountr\- was  covered  with  water 
some   centuries  before   the  time  of  the   Incas ;  a  icw  men 
took  refuge  in  tlie  mountains,  and  w  hen  the  water  beg.ni  to 
go  down  "the\-  let  loose  some  dog^.  which  came  back  wet :  a 
few  dav.  lalJr  thev  were  ^ent  forth  a  ^.cond  time,  and  came 
back  soiled  with  mud.     At  this  sign  the  me;    'mew  that  the 
waters    had   retired;  lluy  Kit  their  retreat,  and  their  pos- 
terity i)eopled  the  countrw 

A  still  more  strange  account  is  that  telling  how  a  ^he;^ 
herd,  m.ticing  th,U  the  llanu-  ],a..cd  the  night  looking  at 
the  stars,  questioned  one  amon,  them  as  to  the  cause  of  . 
preoccupation.     The  llama  called  his  attention  to  the  uii- 


..  -f 


'    1 


!  i| 


I  r 


^ 


.Sk 


5.50 


rA'/;.///S/VA'/C  .LUFK/CA. 


usual  conjunction  of  six  stars,  addini;  that  this  conjunction 
was  a  sure  s'i;ii  that  the  world  was  soon  to  be  destroyed  by 
water  anil  that  if  his  master  wished  to  escape  becoming  tiie 
victim  of  the  approachinij  catastrophe  he  must  take  refuse 
with  his  famil\-  ami  Hock  on  the  neiL,dib()rin}j[  mountains. 
The  shepherd  hastenetl  to  follow  this  advice,  and  witlulreu 
to  the  loftiest  mountain'  of  the  country,  where  a  crowd  of 
animals  had  ahead)'  preceded  him.  H  j  had  scarcely  arrived 
when  the  ani,ny  waves  covered  the  earth,  but  the  mountain 
floated  like  a  boat,  and  rose  as  the  waters  increased.  This 
deluge  lasted  five  da\'s,  and  was  accompanied  by  a  total 
eclipse  of  the  sun.  Then  the  waters  Ljradually  retiretl,  and 
the  shepherd  and  his  family  became  the  ancestors  of  the 
Peruvian  people.' 

Other  traditions,  chiefly  met  with  in  the  countries  forni- 
inc^  the  present  republic  of  ICcuador,  make  two  brothers  who 
took  refiiL;e  from  the  waters  on  the  mountain  of  I  [uac.ivfian, 
the  fathers  of  the  whole  luiman  race.  Their  proxisjons 
were  exhausted,  and  the\'  were  oblis^ed  to  leave  the  mist  Ta- 
ble hut  where  they  had  found  a  refu,L;e,  to  _l;o  into  the  half 
submeri;ed  valley.  On  their  return  the\'  were  astonished  to 
find  a  meal  ])repared  for  them.  Curious  to  know  who  had 
thus  come  to  their  as>i-.tance,  one  of  the  brothers  onh'  went 
out  the  next  da\-.  whik'  the  other  kept  watch.  He  soon 
saw  two  birds  called  aras,  in  tlie  form  of  women,"  approach- 
ini;,  loadctl  with  provisions.  He  succeeded  in  seizing  (me 
of  tlunr.,  who  became  his  wife,  and  mother  of  the  human  race. 

Lastl)'  in  Hrazil  a  gotl  named  Monan,  angr\'  at  the  corru[)- 
tion  of  nirn.  ;lestro\ed  the  earth  !))•  water  .ind  by  fire.  One 
man  alone  escaped,  in  the  destruction  of  all  living  creatures; 

'  AccoriliiiL,'  'd  soiiK',  ihc  nunuu.iin  of  AiuaMiiarca  five  leagues  from  Cuzco, 
accoidliij^ti)  others  Mount  Iluardchcri  ncariT  the  hea. 

"  .Molina,  '•  Kelacioii  ilc  la.>  faluilas  y   Ritos  de  los  Ingas,"  MS.  des  aicli. 
.Madrid. 

'  Ura^.'-cur  de  Bourbourg,  who  relates  this  legend,  says  tlial  there  were  two 
women  called  .//•,;,  lie  adds  that  the  people  of  thi^  province  retain  a  gre.it 
veneration  for  the  Aras,  on  account  of  the  service  which  hirds  had  rendereil  la 
their  ancestors. 


h< 


f  .s 


THE   ORIGIN  OF  MAN  IN  AMERICA. 


531 


inctiou 
lycd  by 
ing  the 
;  refuge 
.intains. 
itlulrew 

iMWll    i>f 

■  iurivcd 
lountiiin 
1.  This 
;i  total 
red,  cUhI 
s  of  the 

ics  fonn- 
hers  who 
acaynan. 
rovisions 
c  mi se ra- 
the half 
nished  to 
who  had 
nly  went 
I  le  soon 
ipproaeh- 
i/.ini;  one 
num  raec. 
ic  eorrup- 
ire.     <^ne 
:reatures; 

tiom  Cuzo'. 

(les  aid). 

ere  were  twn 

;tain  a  i;rcat 

rendereil  la 


Monan  took  pity  on  his  misery  and  gave  him  a  wife,  and  it 
was  they  who  rcpcopled  the  earth  after  these  terrible  events.' 
Similar  m>-ths  are  found  among  various  Indian  tribes;  the 
legend  of  a  deluge  and  of  a  saviour  and  benefactor  of  the 
human  race  extends  to  the  Alaskan  tribes  and  is  in  fact 
almost  world-wide  among  ail  classes  of  men  in  some  form  or 
other.  No  dissemination  of  merely  Christian  ideas,  since 
the  conquest,  is  sufficient  to  account  for  these  myths,  which 
appear  to  have  their  root  in  the  natural  tendencies  of  the 
human  mind  in  its  evolution  from  a  savage  state. 

That  America  was  peopled  at  different  times  by  scions  of 
different  races  is  highly  probable  from  the  physical  differ- 
ences to  be  observed  between  the  remains  of  pre-historic  man 
and  the  complexion  and  features  he  bequeathed  to  his  his- 
toric descendants.  That  these  races  were  still  in  a  very 
low  and  undifferentiated  state,  other  than  in  their  ph}-sique, 
we  have  already  stated  as  probable. 

Among  the  cruite  and  imperfectly  digested  hypotheses 
which  have  engageil  the  attention  of  untrained  ethnologists, 
none  have  been  more  popular  than  those  which  ascribed  the 
origin  of  the  Americans  to  full-fledged  races  such  as  we 
know  at  present  in  other  regions  of  the  world.  Among 
those  who  have  been  claimed  as  the  original  .)r  genuine 
ancestors  of  the  Americans  are  the  Chinese,  the  Japanese, 
the  Malays,  the  ICgxptians,  the  IMi.enieians,  the  Basques, 
the  ten  lost  tribes  of  Israel,,  the  early  Irish,  the  Welsh,  the 
.Norsemen,  some  uid.no\vn  Asiatic  freemasons,  and  other 
ecpndiv  unknown  Buddhists.  A'ohnnes  have  been  tille.l  with 
the  m'ost  enthusiastic  rubbish  bv  men  upon  whose  ability 
and  sanity  in  other  matters,  nothing  has  ever  thrown  a 
doubt.  Fortunately  the  era  of  such  speculations  is  passnig 
awa>'.  The  scientiiic  treatment  of  anthropological  subjects 
is  no  longer  the  exception. 


iivrr  with  tis,  and  < 


loubtless 


The  "  ten   lost   tribes     still  in  .,  .       . 

u.|:U-,.n.i,uK.  .0  ,l„  so  (.,■  so„u-  l.m...  pr,.l,„l,ly  l«.-nn,,  ,„ 

nommce  Ameriqiif,"  I'a"^,  iSf""' 


i 


f 


532 


PRE-IIIS  TOKK '  A  M ERICA . 


9i  'i 


t   ■  i\'. 


¥ 


ii 


I-' 


their  turn  the  subject  of  invcstic^ation  bj-  psycholocjists  in- 
terested in  aberrant  nient;il  phenoinenu.  Hut  e\er)-  cla\-  in- 
creases our  kno\vledi;e  of  the  true  constitution  of  saxai;!' 
society,  and  builds  a  more  enduring- barrier  ai^ainst  the  floods 
of  pure  h\'i)otliesis.  Students  are  less  and  Kss  likely  to  be 
fooled  by  such  a  i)reposterous  fiction  as  the  so-called  liistor)- 
of  Moncatch  Ape.  which,  within  a  few  \i.  ars  has  enj^a;^ed 
the  serious  attenti<  :  of  some  of  the  most  worthy  antl  dis- 
tinguished European  ethn(ilo_;.;ists  ;  and  the  da)'  is  not  far 
distant  when  men  pc-sscssed  b\'  absurd  anthropological 
hobbies  will  no  longer  be  patientl)'  permitted  to  ventilate 
them  before  scientific  bodies,  but  will  be  placeil  on  the  same 
list  with  the  scpiarers  of  circles  and  the  discoverers  of  per- 
petual motion. 

Mail)'  of  these  hypotheses  were  discussed  at  length,  with 
a  view  to  their  refutation  in  thr  l'"i\nch  rtlition  (if  this  work, 
b)'  its  learned  author.  It  has  be'cn  thought  best  to  omit 
the  discussions  as,  in  the  inter\al  which  has  elajjsed.  llie_\ 
have  come  to  bear  still  less  relation  to  the  actual  state  of  the 
science  ;  and.  further,  because  American  students,  having 
the  advantage  of  being  on  the  ground,  lia\e  pretty  well  ilis- 
carded  man\'  ill-foundetl  notions  which  still  linger  among 
the  less  enterprising  <if  luiropean  anthropologists. 

This  translation  being  intended  for  the  .\merican  public 
has.  therefore,  been  l)rought  as  nearl\-  in  unison  with  the 
present  state  of  science  in  this  C(>untr_\-  as  the  rapid  progress 
of  such  studies  would  i)eniiit,  and,  it  is  hoped,  will  convex- 
to  many  general  reatlers  a  not  uninteresting  survey  of  the 
class  of  facts  upon  w  liich  the  scientific  conception  of  Pre-his- 
toric  man  in  America  is  based.  That  there  is  much  to  learn 
is  self-evident,  that  a  beginning  has  been  made  is  certain, 
that  the  results  in  the  end  w  ill  testify  to  the  orderlx'  reign  of 
evolution  here  as  in  the  Old  World  we  have  e'ver\-  reason  to 
be  confident. 


1  1  f 

'•i' 


m 


/ 


APl'ENDIX. 


A. —  DISldVlKlf.S    IN    ^AI.IKilKXIA. 


\\k  Uiink  il  will  lie  useful  in  t;ivc  a  >iiiiiiiiary  uf  tlic  principal  discoveries 
inadi.'  ill  ('ulifdrnia,  and  Id  add  lo  il  a  li>t  nf  llie  mammals  whose  remains  have 
])ccn  fdiiiiil  i>n  the  ciia>ts  of  iho  I'acitic,  in  strata  ascribed  to  the  qiiartumarv 
periiid. 

Mariposa  coiiu:  ,  inastoddu  hones  mixeil  with  human  bones  and  stone 
weapons,  ihe  innsl  reinarkalile  cf  ihe  latter  beiiij,'  an  obsidian  lance-]ioint,  live 
ineiies  limg. 

At  Horiiitfls  and  J'rintuii'ii,  sione  nmriars  wilh  llieir  pestles,  one  of  the  mor- 
tars ciL;hleen  inches  hij^li  and  \veij;liinij  lil'ly  pounds,  Iieinj;  one  of  the  large.-t 
Iviiowii  ;  obsidian  armn- and  laiue-heail>,  l<ii;ether  wilh  bones  of  the  elephant, 
Imrse,  and  an  indelenninale  species  re-embliiiL;  the  camel. 

Mc'rciJ  lOiiiily,  nunierons  iinj'leinenls  from  near  Siielling. 

Stanislaus  (oniity,  an  eleiiluinl's  lii>h,  ten  feet  lonj;. 

Tuoliiinnc  (oiiiitv,  \vai;(in-liia(U  of  nia>lodon  iKines  ;  numerous  stone  objects. 
In  all  the  auriferous  gravels  have  been  found  bones  of  extinct  animals  associated 
with  the  products  of  human  industry.  The  greatest  depth  of  the  e.xcavations 
yieldiiit;  protilab.le  resulu  here  wasluo  humlred  feet. 

Under  the  ba-allic  deposits  of  Table  .\biuntain  has  been  di.-covered  a  human 
jaw,  together  with  two  laiice-head>,  a  polle,  and  >everal  stone  objects  resemb- 
ling our  ladles,'  A  human  skeleton  was  found  in  cutting  a  tunnel  beneath 
Tabic  Mountain,"  but  details  respecting  il  are  as  yet  too  incomplete  to  ju>tify 
any  conclusion. 

Amadni-  coiiiitv,  various  stone  objects. 

Kl  Dorado  anmtv,  at  Shingle  Springs,  stone  mortars  and  masm.lon  bones; 
at  Dinntoiul  Springs,  mortars  ;  al  Spanish  Flat,  "T.^ols,  kitchen  utensils  and 
other  indestructible  traces  of  man's  presence  and  activity,"  says  \  oy,  one  of  the 
most  indefatigable  excavators  of  California.  Some  human  bones  have  been 
pickeduninabedofclay.-d.etterof  Dr.  Iloyce,  >ov.  2,  1S70.) 

Phucr  c.uuty,  near  Cold  Hill  numerous  s.-me  objects  ;  at  loiysl  lldl,  a  d.sh 
hewn  out  of  very  hard  granite,  measuring  about  eighteen  inches  in  d,an>e.er ;  al 
Devil's  Canon,  two  human  boms  beneath  a  thick  bed  of  lava. 

Nerada  county,  numerous  objects  fabricated  by  man  have  been  p.eked  up  1.- 
twcen  1853  and  18(14.  ^    ^  

"r:r^p;  or  la,llc.  «i,l,  .^^^^  hanJlcJs^'-Whimcy,  "  Auriferous  .;r,.d.,-  p.  ..4- 
^Pro,.  ilo^ton  So.:  .'/.Vm.  ///-W.,  vol,  W,  1873,  V-  ^57- 


i    ■> 


f 


534 


PRE.///S  TOM/C  AMEKK.  \1 . 


£u/U  cpunty,  the  first  discoveries  wcro  mnili'  ninro  than  twenty  years  ago  ; 
they  consisted  of  instruments,  weapons,  and  implements  of  the  most  varied 
form. 

Some  tr.ices  of  tiie  contemporaneity  of  man  and  of  animals  of  extinct  race 
have  also  been  made  out  in  Trinity  and  Siskiyou  counties.  It  is  very  probable 
that  later  researches  will  comjilete  the  discoveries  already  made. 

The  bones  of  which  we  have  still  to  speak  were  none  of  them  found  in  their 
natural  position  ;  they  had  evidently  been  brought  down  by  tumultuous  waters, 
which  the  bones  of  the  >tronj;est  mammals  alone  were  able  to  resist, 

;',.:r.L>  ■;f  these  bones  have  been  jiicked  u|)  under  thick  beds  of  basalt  or  lava. 
In  these  beds  we  note  no  fissure  which  could  justify  us  is  supposing  that  the 
bones  can  have  gained  access  to  the  places  where  they  lay  after  the  dejjosit  of 
volcanic  material.  The  species  discovered  under  such  conditions  are  very  few. 
Thus  far  but  three  are  mentioned  in  any  ihing  of  an  intact  condition  '  :  a  rhin- 
oceros (A',  hespi-rus)  related  alike  to  the  R.  iiidicus  wwX  the  R.  oaiJenlolis,  but 
deciiledly  snialKr  than  the  latter  :  the  Elotherium  superhum,  a  species  probably 
related  to  the  I'.lolluriHm  iiii^viis  of  Dakota  ;  and  lastly  a  ])achydenn,  of  which 
all  that  iias  been  found  is  one  fragment  of  one  tooth.  In  speaking  of  it  l.eidy 
says  ;  "  A])parently  the  fragment  of  an  incisor  or  canine  of  >onie  large  pachy- 
derm ;  not  the  mastodon  or  elephant,  and  probably  allieil  to  the  hipjjopotamus." 

(Quaternary  species  are  of  course  mure  auuicrous.  Amungsl  them  we  will 
mention  ; 

J'elitii's,  Fc'lis  impi'rialis. 

CaiiiJes. — A  wolf  that  Dr.  I.cidy  thinks  is  the  C.  indianaensis,  found  together 
with  the  megalonyx  on  the      .:ik>  of  the  Ohio, 

Boviiies  ;  B.  latifrons. 

Caineliiii's. — In  Merced  county  \'oy  found  a  llama  (Auchetiia  cali/ornica)  of 
very  large  si/e  ;  some  teetli  from  the  Alameda  county  appear  to  belong  to  a 
>maller  sjiecies  {A  lusltrno). 

Dr.  Snell  possesses  in  his  collection  the  molar  tooth  of  a  large  ruminant  found 
nearSonora  ;  it  resembles  a  tooth  picked  up  near  the  Niobrara  river,  and  attri- 
buted by  Dr.  l.eidy  to  a  species  to  which  he  pro])0ses  giving  the  name  of 
.t/cXd/o/iirryx,  Inn  whieii  is  very  likely  the  same  a^  the  Procumelus. 

Capyidcs. — None  of  the  bone^  found  lielong  inconlestably  to  this  group. 

Cet-'idi-s. — All  that  is  known  of  this  group  is  a  metatarsus  from  Mariposa 
county,  belonging  to  a  deer  smaller  than  the  C.  virginianus. 

I'rohouidiaus. — We  have  already  said  how  numerous  these  were  in  California. 
During  the  tertiary  and  proliably  ako  durini;  a  great  jj.irt  of  the  (luaternary 
periods  tiiey  wandered  freely  ihroughoul  .Norih  America  as  far  as  Labrador.' 
The  greater  number  are  related  to  .]/.  americaniis.  On  account  of  certain 
slight  differences,  however,  Dr,  l.eidy  has  thought  of  creating  three  new  species 
J/,  mirificus,  M.  andium,  and  M.  ohnurus. 


'  J.  I.ciily:  "The  (.■xtinct  M.imm.iliari  Fauna  ,.f  Dakota  ami  Nal)raska,"  I'liiladelplna, 
iSOy.  "  Conlriliiitic.ns  I.,  the  L-xlinn  verlcl>rate  Fauna  of  tlic  Western  'I'erritorics,"  Ktfort .-/ 
the  U.  S.  C„-o/,'f,'iin/  Sumy.  Wa^liinKtun,  1873. 

»  "  Can  lo.-ids  of  Mastoilnn  liont>  liave  licen  aLCuir.ulalcd  at  variou^  places  helweeii  Soiiora 
ami  the  Stanislaus  river  .u  wurkiMi;,  in  the  limeMone  cre^  to-' ,."  Whiinev  :  "  The  Auriferous 
GraveK  '   11.  2;i. 


APPEh'DIX. 


535 


Klephants  (Eh'phas  columhi.  Falconer)  were  less  numerous  than  mastodons. 
A  coiuplclf  skeleton  lias  been  discovered  near  the  Fresno  river ;  its  vertebral 
column  was  more  than  twenty  feet  long. 

EquHs, — Many  are  known.  /;'.  excelsus  found  at  Santa-Maria  oil  springs, 
/;,  lahiilliis,  recalling  the  horse  of  the  present  day,  and  lastly,  E,  pacificus,  the 
hirgi-sl  of  all  the  Californian  si)ecies,  found  in  Contra  Costa  county,  and  which 
Whitney  even  ascribes  to  the  pliocene  period. 

To  eomjdete  our  study  we  give  a  list  of  the  flora  whose  presence  has  been 

made  out  in  the  aurifero\is  gravels  and  deposits  of  Table  Mountain.' 

Aralia  zaddachi 
Cornus  ovalis 
Acer  bolanderi 


Fagus  anti)ioti 
(Juercus  cloenoidcs 
(juercus  convexa 
Salix  Californica 
I'laliiuis  dissecta 
Ulnuis  californica 
Ulnuis  aftinis 
Ficus  niicrojjhylla 
I'ersea  pseudo-carolinensis 


Ilex  pruuifolia 
Zi/y))hus  micr<)])hyllus 
Rhus  typhinoides 
Rhus  metopioides 
Rhus  dispersa 
Ccrocarpus  antiqua. 


,j__SPKClES    KOUND    IN    THE   SHELL-HEAPS  OF   MAINE   AND 
.MASSACHUSETTS. 


Homo 

C'ervus  canadensis 

A  Ices  aniericamts 

Kangifer  cariiiou       .         .         • 

(Jervus  virginianus     . 

I'rsus  ainericanus 

Canis  occideiitalis 

Canis  (species  domesticutn) 

Vulpes  fulves     .         .         .         • 

F'elissp      .         .         .         •        • 

I.ulra  canadensis 

I'utorius  vison   .         .         .        • 

Mustela  ainericana     . 

Mephitis  niephilica    . 

riioca  vitulina  .         .         •        • 

Castor  canadensis 

Arctiiinyx  nionax 

Aha  iuipennis  .         .         •         • 

Aha  tiirda  .         .         •         • 

AnstT  (speci<'s  Jik')     . 

ri>cis  s(|ualoidcus 

Monluia  amcriiana   . 

l.ophius  anicricanus  . 

lUuciiiuni  ui   latum    . 

Ihisvcon  canaiiculaluui  cl  ]\.  cirw.x 

Osirea  edulis  et  Myaaivnan.i    . 

\'unus  nienenaria 

Mvtihis  edulis  .        •        ■ 

IVcten  tenuicostatus  cl  P.  i=!an.licu. 

Mactra  sp 

'  Whitney,/.'.,  !'■  2i5' 


Mount    Couch 
Desert.    Cave. 


Eaele 
Hill. 


Cotuit 

Port. 

I 


id 


ti 


< 


'      i 


If 


i 


.      J.'  'I 


1     M|.., 

I     IV. 


556 


PKE-HISTOKIC  AMERICA. 


;  I 


'^^ 


I'      1 

■  ■1* 


Kcusu<|ua 

Sabula 

llellcvue 

I 
I 

I 

I 

- 

I 
I 
I 

I 

I 

I 

- 

I 

- 

I 

- 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

1 
I 

1 

r 

I 

I 

- 

- 

I 

I 

- 

T 

I 

t'. SIMICIKS    lOfNl)    IN     TIIK    SIIKI.I.-HKAl'S    OK    U)\VA. 

Mammals.     Ros  aincricanus  .... 

Ccrviis  vir^iiiianus 
liirils.     liernicla  i-aiKuU'Hsis  .... 
Clidcnian   Koplik's.     Cliclyilra  serpentina     . 
Trionyx  fcrox 

Fish.     I'imcliuliis  (?) 

Kiul)iiii(Ka  (?)....• 
MolluM.a.     rahulina  inlcgra,  S.ny  . 
L'nid  ivsopus,  (irccn     . 

"     aiioiliintdidcs,  I,ea       . 

"     crassus,   Say 

"     L'licnu'^,  I.ca 

"     t;il)l)osii>',  liarncs. 

"     nodosus,  Uaincs  . 

"     ovatus,  Say 

"     plicatus,  Say 

"     pu'-UiliiMis  I.ca    . 

"     rcctUN,  Laniark    . 

"     runDsiis,  Harncs  . 

•'     tiiliL'iciilalii>,  I'arncs    . 

"     unilatii^,  Barnes  . 

"     vciilricusus,  liarncs     . 

NOTE   ON    RECENT    INVESTIGATIONS     IN     PALENQUE    BY    CHARNAY. 

The  occasion  of  conferring  the  Logerot  iiri/.e,  the  goUl  medal,  for  new  ex- 
plorations in  Mexico  and  Central  America,  liy  the  Sociele  dc  (ieographie  of 
Paris,  is  fully  reiwrted  upon  in  the  Society's  lUilletin  for  t!  c  present  year  (pp. 
1b>-2'i).  'the  recipient,  M.  Desire  ('harnay,  has  long  been  engaged  in 
ethnological  researches,  to  which  reference  has  been  made  in  the  preceding 
pages.  His  Work,  which,  at  la^t  advice^,  was  on  the  ])(iint  of  publication,  has 
been  crowned  by  the  Society  ;  and  in  ihe  re[)ort  of  the  committee  U[Kin  this 
matter,  some  of  the  important  re^ulls  attained  are  brielly  summarized.  Like 
all  scientit'ic  investigations,  their  tendency  is  to  refute  much  sensational  closel- 
ethnology  and  to  indicate  more  clearly  than  ever  the  unity  of  aboriginal  culture 
in  America. 

Some  of  the  facts  brought  out  are  of  such  interest  that  it  has  seemed  well  at 
the  last  moment  to  include  them  in  the  present  appendix.  Their  bearing  upon 
some  of  the  problems  discussed  in  the  chapters  on  Central  .Vmcii^a  and  .Mexii.o 
will  be  eviilent  to  our  readers. 

In  visiting  l'aleni|ue,  M.  Charnaymade  great  use  of  a  convenient  process,  by 
which  moulds  of  bas-relief  sculpture  can  be  taken  in  a  few  moments.  It  con- 
sists in  the  application  of  tow  sopped  in  liciuid  plaster,  which  can  l.'e  laid  on  in 
a  thin  layer,  the  threads  of  the  tow  making  the  plaster  extremely  tough  when 
set,  and  the  lightness  of  the  mould  greatly  facilitating  transjiortation,  always 
so  expensive  and  diftkult  for  large  ethnological  objects.  An  extensive  set  of 
reliefs  from  these  moulds  is  on  exhibition  in  the  United  States  National 
Museum  at  Washington. 

The  moulds  of  M.   Charnay  have  entirely  done    away  with   the    elei)hanl 


^ftjfi'-.i 


.t /'/>/■:. \7)/.\. 


537 


sculptures  reported  by  Waldcck  (in  which  so  many  pretty  ihc(iiic>  have  been 
creeled.  'I'lierc  is  :U)>(ilulely  iiDthin^;  elephantine  there,  and  it  ^ecln^  tliat  the 
earlier  rcpurts  were  lia^-ed  on  a  nii-ieoiucption,  due  to  eMraneous  vegetation 
Uelieus  (If  stahif^inites  whieh  have  eiienisteil  part  (if  the  ruinx 


r 

Itajipear^  that   I'aleiKpie,  so  far  fnini  lieiii^'  in  fur^'diieii  ruins  at  the  ti 


enf 
the 


the    Spanish    CoiKpiesl,  as  has  been   so  often    slated  (after  Waldeck),  'vas 
eity  of  Teoticcac,  the  religious  metropolis  of  the  Acaltees,  where  fortes  and  all 


us  men  nil 


1 
Ch 


ght  1ki 


ave  fiKani|)ed  in  a  single  building 


Another  site  disec 


ariiav,  am 


1  temp 


by 


lied  l.orillard  (.'ity,  after  the  patron  of  I 


11-.  explora- 


tions, is  decided  to  be  the  remains  of  Izaiieanac,  the  cajiital  of  the  State  of 
Aeallan,  traversed  by  Corte/  in  returning  to  Honduras.  Phe-e,  as  well  as 
("ojian,  Chichen  It/a,  and  I/amal  are  of  relatively  modern  origin,  and,  aceonl- 
ing  to  Charnay,  cannot  exceed  seven  or  eight  hundred  years  in  age. 

The  explorer  decides  that  the  remarkable  edilices  of  Yucatan  and  Chiapas  are 
wludly  due  to  the  Toltecs,  immigrants  from  the  jilateau  of  Anahuac,  after  the 
destruction  of  the  Clovernment  of  Tollaii  in  the  beginning  of  the  twelfth  cen- 
tury. The  differences  exhibited  by  the  various  monuments,  to  him  eliaracter- 
i/e  only  stages  or  special  developments  of  one  and  the  same,  state  of  art 


social  culture 


However  this   may  he,"  savs   I)r.  Ilaniv,  the  learned  am 


lie   aftiiiities  demoiislrate 


•  Cliarnav 


distinguished  arch.eologist  of  I'aris,   "tl 

between  Yucatan  and  ancient  .Vnahuac,  are  so  close,  so  very  mimerous,  and  so 


nsablt 


much  in  harmony  with  the  teachings  of  history  that  it  will  be  iiidispe 
hereafter    that  they  shall    be    seriously  taken    into  account    in  llic  study  of 
American  ethnology." 


J 


,  I 


1 


!*< 


,,  11 


t     '1. 


ll.^ 


gHHHlW    "III        -^^itr'^' 


INDEX. 


? 


Kl 


Abiquico  (New   Mexico),  two  skulls 

from  near,  49S,  4>)i) 
Aiclii/i'lhoium  associated  with  human 

remains  in  Itrazil,  25 
.\ce<iuias  near  Casa  (irande,  224 
Aceijuias  of  I'eru,  422 
Acolhuas  (the),  11 
Acora  (Peru),   nietjaliths  and  chulpas 

at,  424 
Aj^riculturc    amongst   the   i'eruvians, 

423 

anion(j;st    the    Mound  Builders, 

182 

Alabama,  abnormal  skull  of  a  child 
from  mound  in,  48S 

mounds  near  Florence,  io6 

shell-heaps,  48 

Alaska,  shell-heaps,  47 

Alt;oni]uins,  cannibalism  amongst,  f)2 

Amazon  valley,  cannibalism  anioiifjst 
the  tribes   of  the,  63 

complexion  of  the  inhabitants  of, 

in  i6tli  century,  3 

Amelia  Island,  shell-heap,  4S 

America,  tirst  discovered  by  Kuro- 
l)eans  I  ;  landing  of  Cortes  upon  the 
shores  of,  2 

in  the  i6th  century,  its  inhabi- 
tants, 3 

its  fauna,  3 

its  flora,  4 

Analiuac,   concpicred   liy   the  Aztecs, 

II 
Andes,  complexion  of  the  inhabitants 

of,  in  i()th  century,  3 
Ancrcerty  I'oint,  shell-heap,  4'' 
animal     bones    associated    with 

human  remains,  28,  36,  37,  55.  535i 

536 
Apaches,    treatment    of  prisoners  by, 

Apronayue  river  (Guiana),  polished 
stone  hatchets  from  the  banks  of, 
27 

funeral    ami- from    :lie  1  araiia, 


and  from  the  provinces  of  Tucuman 
and  La  Rioja,  474 

Argentine  Keimblic,  [lictographs  in 
the  Santa  Maria  valley,  455 

Piedras  I'inladas  in,  471,  472 

Arica,  mummies  from,  430 

Arizona,  mound  in,  S3 

Arkansas,  ancient  mining  in,  rSo 

vases  from  the  mounds,  141 

wall  near  Helena,  104 

Ash  Cave,  lienton  county  (Ohio),  72 

Astronomy  among  the  Nahuacs,  305  ; 
Aztec  division  of  time,  306  ;  the 
Maya  and  'I'oltec  calendar,  306 

Atacama,  abnormal  skull  of  a  child 
from,  488 

Aymara,  6 

Aymaras,  sepulchres  of  the,  424 

Azilan,  the  home  of  the  Nahuatl  race, 
where  located,  284 

Azlalan,  mounds  of,  92 

tradition  concerning,  f)3 

Aztecs,  ihey  conquer  Anahuac,  11 

religion  of,  292  ;  the  god  Teoll, 

292  ;  the  god  Camaxlli,  293  ;  sacri- 
fice of  infants,  293  ;  obsidian  knife 
used  in  sacrifice,  293 ;  the  god 
Mixcoatl,  294 ;  the  god  Xuihte- 
cutli,  295 

their  migration,  285  ;  Chicomez- 

toc,  285  ;  founding  of  Tenotcli- 
liian,  2S5  ;  wars,  286;  alliance 
with  the  Acolhuas  and  the  Tejia- 
necs,  2S6  ;  rapid  progress  of  the 
Aztecs,  2S6 

tribute  from  the  conquered  tribes 

who  hate  their  conquerors,  287  ; 
buildings  and  engineering  works 
erecled'hy  the  Aztecs,  2SS  ;  jioems 
of  iN'e/ahualcoyoll,  288 

Nezaliualpilli  and  the  daughterof 

Axac.ivail,  2S9  ;  a  jiropliecy  of  the 
return' of  ijiietzacoati  which  greatly 
helped  ihe^Spaniards,  291  ;  death  of 
Nezahualpilli,  291;  Montezuma,  291 


\ 


It 


i[ 


539 


! 

1 

-    1 

;40 


PKE-HIS TOKIC  A M ERICA. 


1^.' 


Aztecs,  Thc-allaotli,  2115  ;  the  dcdiiM- 
tioii  (if  tlio  Icmiilc  iif  lluit/ilo- 
liDcluli,  2()6 ;  legend  ciiiiceiiiini; 
that  j;oil,  296;  miml)er  of  vietiiiis 
sacrificed  at  the  A/tec  fe>Mvals 
thouyli  lari;e  was  i;reatly  exaj^geia- 
ted  liy  Spanish  historians,  icj;  ;  ty|ie 
i)f  .sacri'icial  altars,  2i);  ;  belief  in  a 
future  life,  29S  ;  some  burial  cus- 
toms, 291) 

Aztec  Spring  (Colorado),  ruins  ai,  21? 

lioncs  of,  hearing  '.race  of  luunan 
workiiiansliip  found  in  liuenos 
Ayro,  ;?i 

Brazil,  cannibalism  in,  ;?,  5S  ;  fertil- 
ity of  its  sod,  4(15  ;  Agas.iiz  on  its 
resources,  4()6  ;  flora  and  fauna, 
466  ;  degradation  of  it^ii'.tives  ])op- 
ulalion,  466;  the  native  called 
(iuarani  by  the  Spaniards  and  Tiipi 
bylhe  l*ortuguese(>ee  Guarani),  467; 
they  probably  had  more  civilized 
predecessors  to  whom  we  must  at- 
tribute  the  megaliths  and  rock- 
j)aiiilings  and  engravings,  469  ;  dis- 
coveries of  Ilerkman  in  the  prov- 
ince of  rernai'ilnico,  4(19  ;  intaglio 
scuiptiire-.  of  I'aia  and  I'lauhy,  4()()  ; 
red  ochre  drauiiigs  on  bank  of  Kio 
I>oce,  4f'(),  470;  iii^ciiplion  on 
rocks  in  Ceara,  470,  471  ;  in'l'ijuco, 
470  ;  the  I'ledras  I'intadas,  470  ;  el 
Talacio,  471  ;  pottery,  472  ;  (tiscov- 
cries  of  pottery  on  the  island  of 
I'acovi'l-Nlarajo  and  ai  'I'aperinlia, 
472;  fragments  of  ]iotlery  from 
near  Sa.itarcni  (|irovince  of  I'ara), 
473  ;  Rodriguez,  discoveries  on  the 
Kio  das  Trombettas,  473  ;  the 
Miii' ikitau,  473  ;  weapons  and  im- 
j.leiiieiit^,  475  ;  weapons  from  ))ro- 
vince  of  Maranhao,  475  ;  discovery 
of  a  jaileile  hatchet,  47; 

Cairo  Creniiessee),  human  remains  en- 
closed in  ba>kels  near,  114 

Cakhay,  tlie  Indian  name  for  the 
mounds  in  Vera  i'..z  (Mexico),  82 

Calaveras  skull  (the),  40-45 

its  resemblance   to   the   Hskimo 

type,  43 

it   contains   a    trace    of    organic 

matter,  44 

note  by  the  American  lldilor,  45 

Calca,  tower  of,  417 

Calendar  stone,  found  in  Mexico,  30(1 
California  tribes,  degradation  of,  8 


ifib  ;    dishes 
Cetacea    from 


California  slieli-Iiea])s,  J0-51 

caves  as  imrial  places,   (k) 

the  lloligates,  64 

mounds  in,  83 

principal  discoveries  in,  533 

serpentine     cnps. 

from    verlebi:e     of 
Santa  Harbara,  idS 

skulls  in  the  shell-heaps  of,   4?o 

Canada,  two  glacial  period.s  in,  19 
Ciiiiix  /<i/niiis  (Coyote),  4 
(.'aniiibali>m  amongst  North  American 

Indians,  62 

ill  !!ra/il,  53,  58  ;  in  Florida,  58, 

I       59  ;     in     Now     England,     59 ;     in 

luirope,  59,  do  ;  in  America,  61  ;  in 
I'eru,  61  ;  in  Mexico,  ()I  ;  in  Scy- 
tliia,  Oo  ;  on  the  borders  of  the  Eux- 
ine,  60  ;  amongst  the  'Jalatians,  Oo  ; 
in  Irel.ind.  do  ;  in  (iaul,  do;  in 
Rome  do;  in  .Scandinavia,  ()0  ;  in 
'I'eria  del  I'uego,  d2,  (13  ;  on  the 
Orinoco.  d3  ;  at  Tahiti,  (13  ;  on  the 
i       Atna/011,  d3 

amongst  tlicmo.    .'  builders,  119 

Cainilli  (the),  310 

Caribs,  Calln^ilali^nl  aniong--t,  dl 
Carthage  (Alabama  1,  truncated  mounds 
near,  82 

I  Casa  Ciande,  223 

1  Casa.s  <;raiides,  see  also  ruehlos 

,  the  |>robable   Ethnic   identity  of 

the  builders  with  the  Mound  Build- 
ers and  ''litT  I)wellers,  499;    skull 

I       from  a  tumulu>  from  near  the  Casa- 
virande  of  Monle/uma,  41)9 
( 'a\e-l  luellings  described,  203,  203 
Cave>,  huiiian  reiiiaiii>  in,  24 

■ inhabited      by       Euiopeans       in 

(pi. itcrnary  times,  ()i)  ;  ii'-ed  as  burial 
places  in  .Vmerica,  (19  ;  in  l»uraiigo 
(Mexico),  ()()  ;  in  I'eru,  69;  in 
California,    (ji)  ;    in    Missouri,    70; 

I       list  of  Strata  in   cave  on   (iasconade 

I  Kiver,  70;  implements  in,  70; 
Shelter  Cave  (Ohio),  71  ;  Ash  C'ave 
(Ohio),  72  ;  in  Summit  Cimnty 
(Ohio),  72;  in  reiiiisylvaiiia,  73; 
near  l.oiiisville 'Kentucky),  74;  in 
the  province  of  Oajaca,  74  ;  near 
Cireyson's  Springs  (Ker.tucky),  74  ; 
Salt  Cave  ( Kentucky),  75  ;  Short's 
Cave  (Kentucky),  mummy  in,  76 
Cayenne  River  ('.  iuiana),  jioli^hed 
stviiic  hatchets  from  the  banks  of,  27 
Ceara  (lira/il),  i-'scriptions  on  rocks, 
of,  470 

'  Ceutla,  ruins  of,  354 


ji         I 


;V 


1 


i 


LVDEX. 


541 


Centml   America,  resenihlance  of    its 

anciL'iil     inoiuimcnN    in     iliuse    of 

i;;:ypt,  14 
traditions  roijariiini;  coMviilsions 

of  iinture  in,  17 

iimnhor  of  niouiul->  in,  >>5 

— — ■  cartlu-nwaie    pi])(;s     from    near 

S.ui  Salvo'lor,  1  52 
peo])le    of,    2(:o 


!ierof;lypliic>, 
260-2(13  ;  inovoniL'iit  of  popul.ition 
from  North  to  South,  200  ;  no  posi- 
tive evideiiie  as  to  date  of  Einitjra- 
tions,  261  ;  the  Naluiatl  race.  262  ; 
the  Mayas,  262  ;  the  predecessors  of 
Mayas,  2fi  l  ;  the  'I'oltecs,  271  ;  fol- 
lowed hy  other  Irihes  of  the 
Nahuall  race,  271  :  did  these 
people  coiiie  from  the  North  or 
South  ?  272  ;  religious  wars,  274  ; 
theCliichiiiiecs  27<)  ;  llu-  Tezcuans, 
281  ;  the  Tcpanccs  an<l  Acolhuas, 
2S4  ;  the  A/.tecs,  285  ;  iclij^ioii-, 
ideas(>f  the  CeiUral  Aniencan  races, 
291  ;  if  the  Xaliua-.  2()2  ;  Iniria 
customs  and  '.ites,  2()i)  ;  iniiminie 
301  ;  creiiv.iion,  302  ;  a  roval 
funeral,  303  ;  human  sacrifices,  304  ; 
mortuary  vase,  30?  ;  astronomy, 
305  ;  divisions  of  time  ainonir  the 
Aztecs,  3o()  ;  amongst  the  Mayas 
and  Toltecs,  306;  weapons  of  the 
Aztecs,  307  ;  defensive  works,  307  ; 
costume,  3ns  ;  government  probably 
democratic,  301);  the  ('(;//«///,  310  ; 
no  private  ownersliip  of  land,  311 ; 
descent  thougli  female  hue,  311; 
marriage,  312;  no  patronyniic 
names,  312 

ediication  of  chndren,3i2:  ^lav^'iy, 

312;  ]iunislimriit^,  313;  triho  and 
tribe  governmeni,  315  :  initiation  of 
the  'recuhtli,  315  ;  inami-cripl^  of, 
3S9  ;  private  life,  3sn  ;  knowledge 
of  the  arts,  3St  :  decoratioit  of  pot- 
tery, 383  ;  obsidian  im|ileinenls  and 
ornaments,  3S5  ;  ornament^  of  agate, 
coral  and  shell,  3S() ;  conclusions  as 
to  their  culture,  380 

ruins    of     May.i     and    \alniatl, 

architecture  distinguishable,  317  : 
Maya  buildings  of  i'.iiapasof  dilTer- 
ent  stvie  from  those  ofVucatan,  317  ; 
Maya  ruins,  monuments  of  l'ale!i'|ue, 
318;  hieroglyphics,  319;  niches  re- 
sembling the  l':gyptiai\  Ian,  320  ; 
the  arch  uiiknoun,  321  ;  hypotheses 
as  to  the  age  of  the  rah-nnie  ruins, 
322;  the  temple  ot  the  ci"s.s,  324  ; 


the  I'alenque  tablet,  324,  32;  ;  the 
cross  elsewhere  in  Central  An'ierica, 
_  327  ;  Cop.in,  32S  ;  ruins  „f,  330 
Central   Ainerica,    ruins    in   d'itTerent 

])arts  of  Vucatan,  332 
— —  I.orillard    city,    333  ;  differences 
between  monuments  of  Chiapas  and 
those   of    Vucatan,    333  ;     ruins  of 
Chichen-Itza  and  Uxmal,  334;  ele- 
l)hant-lrunk-shai)ed  ornamen'ts,'3-,; ; 
rejiresentations    of    other    anim.afs, 
33f';    phallic   emblems,    336,    -,35; 
no  weapons  nor  implemen'ts  found' 
m   the    ruins,     340;     Kal)ah    and 
l.abna,  ruins  of,   340;    Zayi,  ruins 
at,    340;    Chichen-Ilza,     n'lins    of, 
340;    has-relicf    found    by    Dr.    L. 
riongeon  at  Chichen-It/a,  345  ;  de- 
ciphering   the    hieroglyphics,"  340  ; 
the  cara  gigantcsca,  347,  345  ;   ha- 
m.il,  ruiiis  of,  341),  53^1 

•  roads  and  bridges,  34Q 

•  -Naliuall   ruins,  350  ;  pyratiiid   of 

burial  Choliila,  350  :  date  of  erecticjii,  351  ; 

-Xocliicalco,  352  ;  tcmjde  of,  353  ; 
fortifications  in  Analniac,  354;  at 
lluatusco,  354;  at  Ceu'la,  354: 
pyramids  near  Tehuantepec,  355  , 
'i'ula,  ruins  of,  355  ;  discoveries  of 
Charnay,  356  ;  glass  and  porcelain, 
356  ;  temple  iii  honor  of  the  god. 
Ihiitzilopoclitli,  35S  ;  Tezcuco,  3()o  ; 
l^Uieinaila,  361 

Zap<iiccs  ruins,  364  ;  Mitla,  364  ; 

temple  of  Mitla,  365  ;  mo.saics,  308; 
Cerro  de  Guiengola  forlihcations, 
"^.GS,  sepulchre  at  Tehuantepec,  369  ; 
Santa  Lucia  Cosundiualjia,  ruins  at, 
371  ;  ruins  elsewhere  in  Guatemala, 
373  ;  at  (Juirigua,  373  _ 
Cerro  de  Guiengola,  fortifications  of, 

363 
Chaco    cnnon     (New    Mexico),    clifC 

dweller's  skull,  from  497,  49S 
Cliaco  valley,  ruins  in,  230,  231,  234 
Cliacota,  hay  of,  mummies  from,  430 

mummies  from,  504 

Chandler's  Island  (Wisconsin),  platy- 
cncmic's  tibi.v  from  timiidus  on,  493 
—  various  shaped  skulls  from  mound 


ou,  48 7 
Chellcs,  resemblance  of  its  pal.rolithic 

i.nplemcnls   to  those  of  the    Pela- 

ware  valley,  20 
Cherokees,  council-house  of,  191 
Chibchas  or  Muyscas  (the),  thcv  ,nnd 

their  country  ilescrihed,  4:9  ;  I'ngin- 

eeriiig  amlarchilectmal  uorks,  459; 


I; 

i 


I 


i! 


542 


Ph'i:.]!IS  TOK/i  •  AMERh  \  I. 


f.-ibrics  and  orii.imciUs  :  ]H)tk'ry, 
459;  their  wealth,  460;  traditions, 
460  ;  legends  alunit  I'.oCHlCA  simi- 
lar to  those  about  (^)l'KI /.ACOATI. 
and  MANCO-CArAC,  460  ;  |a  t;ram- 
niar  of  their  language,  4(10  ;j  they 
worshipped  the  siin,  to  \vhii.'h  they 
olTered  human  satritice,  461  ;  ruins 
near  Tunja,  supposed  to  hi:  the  town 
(if  Siigomuxi,  461  ;,  government  of 
the  Chibchas  461  ;  the  Zippas  and 
the  Zoques,  or  cliiefs,  462  ;  burial 
customs,  462  ;  laws  and  penalties, 
462  ;  food  and  dwellings,  463  ; 
knowledge,  and  use  of  the  metals, 
463;  trade  and  coinage,  (?l  463, 
monuments  and  hier.iglyphics,  464, 
4t')5  ;  Columns  near  the  junction  of 
the  Carare  and  M.,g'hdena,  4(5  . 
jiictograplis  of  die  valleys  of  ISogota, 
Tunga,  and  Cauca,  465 

Chichen-It/.a.  ruins  of,  333,  334,  340 

Chichiniets  (the),  12 

27S  ;  of  ilie  Naluiail  race  but  un- 
like the  Toltecs  complete  savages, 
27()  :  their  religion.  2S0  ;  marriage 
customs,  2S0  ;  coni|ue>t  of  Analunc, 
2S2 

Chicomoztoc,  establishment  i-;  the 
Aztecs  in,  2S5 

I'liicuito,  megalilhs  of ,  424 

Cliihuahua,  ca^agrandes  in  San  Miguel 
vallev,  22i 


from  cortain  >ep- 

lOd, 


moun 


at, 


I 


low  ly|ie  skul 

ulchres  in,  4S4 
Chillicoihe   ((iliio), 

101 
— —  t'ros.s   on    skeleton   from  mound 

near,  176 
position  of  bodies  in  mound  at, 

i  12 
Chimu,  ruins  of,  31)5 
Chiiiclia  islands, gold  oinami.ii  ,  from, 

6n 
— —  silver  fish  from,  6S 
C'hoccecjuirao,  fortress  of,  4it) 
Cholula,    pyramid  of,   350;    ilate    •.' 

erection,  351 
Christiana      (rennsylvania),     ancient 

soapstonc  (|uairy  at,  51 
Cluilp.is  of  Acora,  421  ;  near  I'alca, 

425 
Chunk  Yards,  190 
Cliuiikey,  game  of,  190 
Circleviile  (IJhio),  mounds  at,  loi 
Circular  moi.nd,  skull  from,  4S5 
"  Claik's  Works,"  Kois  county  (Ohio), 

'J  I 


Clavigcro,  boundaries  of  Anahuac, 
II 

Cliff  Dwellers,  ]K>ints  of  difference  be- 
tween theni  and  tlie  Mound  Huild- 
ers  and  other  ancient  races,  255  ; 
the  S|ia.iiards  notice  no  resemblance 
lictween  the  inhabitants  of  Mexico 
and  New  Mexico,  256  ;  a  sedentary 
agricultiirai  race,  2=;7 

see  also  "  I're-liistoric  Amer- 
icans," 4CJ7 

on    lieaver  Creek,    227  ;  on  the 

Colorado  Chiquito,  227 

causes  of  decadence,  25S  ;  jirob- 

alile  <lecrease  in  rainfall  the  most 
important,  25S 

Cliff-liouses  described,  201,  202,  203, 
205  ;  on  the  Kio  Mancos,  20S,  210; 
in  Mac  Klmo  valley,  214  ;  at  Aztec 
Spring,  215  ;  on  the  Ilovenweep,  in 
^iollte/uma  valley,  217;  on  the 
kio  de  Chcily,  21(1,  2lS  ;  Cave 
'I'own,  219:  in  Epsom  Cieek  val- 
ley, 220 

Cloth  in  n:ounds  of  Ohio,  Iowa,  and 
Illinois,  177 

I'o.ili,  island  of,  40<)  ;  consecrated  to 
the  moon,  4o()  ;  ruins  of,  409 

(  oai.'acoalcos  river,  numerous  large 
towns  discovered  by  Cortes  upon,   7 

Colonel  Island  (Ceorgia),  sliell-liea])S, 

4S 
Colorado    Cliiiiiiito,    ruins    along    the, 

22() 
Colorailo    river,   ancient    ruins   along, 

22S 
("omplexions  of  the  Indians,  3 
I'onnecticnt,  pipe  from,  l(t^ 
(.'onnett's  Mound,  near  Dover  (Ohio), 

118 

copper  beads  from,  174 

Convulsions  of  nature,    traditions  re- 
garding,  in   Mexico,  (."entral  Amer- 
ica, I'eru,  and  liolivia,  17 
Cook   (I'rof.),   glacial    piieiiomena  in 

N\»v  Jersey,  18 
Copa",  ruins  of,  328 
Copiapo  N'alley  (Cjiili),  nnimmies  from 

huacas  in,  431; 
Copper,    the   only   metal    in    common 

use    among    the    Mound    Builders, 

iSo 
Copper  mining  by  tlv  Mound  Huilders 

on    Lake    Superior,     178;    on     Isle 

koyal,  179 
Couiuil    UlufTs,    intienchmeiit    of   the 

Arikarees  at,  9S 
Coyote,  the  A-^iciican  dog,  4 


1  I  ' 


I 


ffttggftt 


/x/v:x. 


54$ 


Cremation  anioiif;  the  Iiuliaiis,  iiq 

ainonjjsl    tlic    Moutul    lUiilders, 

117,  118,  III) 

CiDinlcclis  (lcscril)Cil,  S3 

Cross  in  Central  America  moiuiiiieiUs, 

327  ;  at  Lorillard  City,  333 
Culture  of  tile  Indians,  7 
Cuml>erUui(l  valley,  cro-^s  on  skelelon 

from  mound  in,  176 
Cu7eo,  legend  of  its  foundation,  410  ; 

ilifl'ieidties    overcome    in    building, 

411  ;   ruins  of,  411  ;  i;raiideur  of  the 

Sacsaluiaman,     or     fortress,     41.;; 

a'lueduct,    413;    the    temjile,   413; 

private  dwellings  of  ihe  Incas,  414 
I  ypicss,  great  age  of,  35 

Dakota.  '  v  type  skulls  from  mounds 
..f,  4 

D'Miipoit  (lowal,  sopulchral  nn)und 
al,  113 

Deformatiiin  amcingst  the  Mayas,  5(X) ; 
amongst  the  Peruvians,  501  ; 
amongst  the  Indiius,  511  ;  the  cus- 
tom veiy  an  len;,  :f2;  idols  with 
llatteneil  heads,  5 1 -' ;  means  eiii- 
pliiyeil,  ?I2  ;  health  nor  intelligence 
apparently  injured  by,  this,  513,  in 
I",\irope  and  Asia,  513  ;  in  Oceanica, 
514  ;  i'  !'';  ;nce.  di'/oniialion  louion- 
saiih-,  ,15  :  «  a-,  deformalion  alu■ay^ 
viijuntaiy,  5!  "- 

l>e!a\vare  valley,  ])al.uolithic  iuiple- 
ments  from,  19,  20,  jr 

T>og,  holies  of,  in  shcll-licap,  49 

1  )unleith  mound  skull,  ccimpariMni  of 
with  the  Xcandertlud  skull,  4.S3 

l%lephant, trunk-shaped  i)rnainents,3,!5 
I'dy  mound  iNirginia),  shell  pin  frmn, 

ICscoma  valley  (I'eru),  chulpa  in,  427 
l'',skinio,   they   jiassed   freely  between 

the  two  hemispheres,  r 
their  short  stature,  3 

manners  and  customs  similar  to 

those  of  jire-historic  man  in  Auierici, 
especially  to  the  inhabitants  of  the 
Aleutian  Islands,  66 

Kscpiimalt,    dish    \(  ith    two    handles 

fo\ind  in  shell-heap,  =2  ' 

Ktowah  river,  mound  mi,  105  1 

:'"auna  of  America  (native),  3 
Kijians,  eanniliali~m  ainniii;sl.  'ii 
Flora  of  America  (imtivel,  4 
Florence  (Alabama),  mounds  ai,  I>'6 


1  Florida,  discovery  of  a  human  jaw- 

j       bone  near  Lake  Monroe,  33,  34 

I  •  river  sh.dl-heaps,  57 

\  ■  shell-h     ps,  48 

I  shell   heaps,   platycnemic  tibise 

I       from,  493 

'  - —  skulls  in  the  shell-heaps  of,  481 

I   l''ort,  ancient,  92 

I  Fnrt  Hill  ((Jhiol,  mound  at,  69,  90 
Fort  Wayne  (Indian.i),  burial  mound 

I       at,  112 

:  |il;itycnemic  tibix  from,  493 

I  •  skulls  from,  4S5,  4S7 

j  Fri.as   (the),   (Buenos   Ayres),    human 

i       fossils  on  the  banks  of,  29 

i  Funeral    rites  of   the   Nahuatl,    299; 

I       creinalion,   302;    a   royal    funeral, 

'       303  ;    human   sacrifices,  304  ;   mor- 
tuary vase,  305 
Fusing   of  metals,    were   the   Mound 
Builders  ignorant   of   the  process? 
discoveries  in  Wisconsin,  iSl 

( iardeii  Beds,  iSi  ;  in  Michigan,  In- 
;  iliana,  and  Missouri,  isi  ;  west  of 
'  the  Mississi|p;ii  and  on  the  Gulf  of 
i       .Mexico,  1S2  ;  in  Louisiana.  1S2 

(iascoiiade  river  (.Missouri),   cave  on 
'       banks  of,  70,  71 
Geurgclown     (Cal.), 

from,  39 
(leiirgi.i,     shell-heap 
Island,  47 

bird-shaped  inuund  in,  123 

the  Messier  mound,  106 

Cdacial  epoch,  two  periods  of,  iS,  19 

existence  of  man  during,  19 

•  ill  Kentucky,  l3 

in  Xew  Jersey,  iS 

in  North  America,  17,  iS 

(d.icial  phenomena  in  California,  18 

in  the  .savannahs    of   the   Mela 

and  the  .-Vpure,  iS  ;  in  the  v.illeyof 
die  .Vuia/.ou  and  Kio  de  la    Plata, 

IS 

Clackil  stri;e  in  .\ew  laigkind,  17  ;  m 
Ohio,  iS  ;  in  Iowa,  iS  ;  in  .Michigan, 
iS  •  in  Wisconsin,  18 

(d.isMvaie  in  the  Tula  ruins,  356 

(dyptudon,  its  .shell  used  as  a  dwell- 
I'n;'  by  primeval  man,  29 

GohfSpring  (Julch,  oval  granite  dish 

from,  31) 
Granville  (Ohio),  alligator  mound  at, 

Gr-at   Cheyenne    River    (Xebra-;ka). 

nmund  city  on,  1H6 
local  l.ake^,  pile-dwellings  lu,  130 


granite     dishes 

oil     St.      Simnll's 


:| 


i    - 


Ii 


^11 


544 


PR/:./I/S'J-OKIC  .  \M ERICA. 


%^ 


Great  Miami  river,  inoinii!;^  along,  91 

Circunwooii  ('reiinessei'),  'H 

Cireyson's  S[>riiii;s  (Keiituc.-l<y),  rock 
siicller  near,  74 

Gu.iiu)  ilei)(i>iis  in  I'eni,  (unnnienisiu, 
()S  ;   llieir  as^e,  OS 

Guanajuati),  spear  jioint  from  the,  22 

tjiiarani  :ir  Tuiii,  tlie  native  race  nf 
l!ra/il,  d,  i),  467  ;  cliaraeteristies 
and  lanj;iiage,  4(17  ;  analoijics  be- 
tween liie  lanjjuatjes  of  (iuiana,  the 
Uj'per  Ania/on,  tlieAnlilies.  anil  the 
bay  of  Kio  I'.e  Janeiro,  4(>7  ;  the 
IJotoeudos,  the  Tapuyas,  the  Tiipin- 
anibas,  4t)S  :  jdeseriiiiion  of  the 
sknll  of  the  IJotoemlos  by  Key,  465! 
the  t'lUaranis  jMobably  had  more 
civilized  ]iredecessors  to  whom  we 
must  attribute  tlie  megaliths  and 
rock  paintings,  4()() 

Ciuiana,  eannibalism  in,  (ii 

inhabitants  of,  10 

piinieval  man  in,  27 

shell-heaiis,  47 

tiiilf  of  Mexico,  mounds  along,  S2 

lIarrison\ille  (Ohio).  .se]nile!iral 
mound  at,  116 

Mass,  the  Caliokia  1  111.)  mound,  103 

Helena  (.Arkansas),  wall  iieai,  104 

Hieroglyphics  in  Cential  Ameiiea, 
260,  263 

at    ralencpie     3111  ;    throui;hout 

Central  America,  37;  ;  o\(iluliiin  of 
lueroglyjihic  writing,  377  ;  gra]>hic 
system  of  liislmp  I  )iego  do  l.anda, 
37S  ;  the  Troano  manuscript,  379 

High  Rock  Spring,  Saratoga  (New 
York  I,  74 

Hill  Mnuiid  (Chio'i,  serpentine  a\e 
from,  170 

ilolig.ues,  legend  of,  64 

Honduras,  cairn^  near   San    Salvador, 

S4 

mounds  in,  ?2,  S3 

veneration   of  the  tiger  in,  7 

Ilopeloun  (()hio)  mounds  at,  100 
Il^'ph'phoi  IIS    iUpiiratiis.      U.   .S,'//i>ri, 

II.  miller,    found  fossil  in  IJrazil  by 

I.und,  25 
Horse,  ancestors  of  the,  16 

of  American  oiij^in,  16 

Hovenweep  (the),  .incieiit  ruins  along, 

217 
Hu.K.is,  resemble   the  Mexican    teoi- 

allis,     3()5  ;     Obispo    huaca,     39(1  ; 

Moche    huaca,    3()6 ;     of    Cojiiapo 

Valley    ((.'hili),     430 ;    near    Aiica, 


430  ;  on  I5ay  of  ("hacota,    430  ;  at 
li|ui(pie,  433 
Huaiasco,  fortifications  at,   354 
HueliUe     Tlapailan    a    great     empire 
in  the  N'ortli  according  to   Mexican 
traditions,  13 
//yji\'i7i,rrtis      .<u/,i,/,'irf,       associated 
I       with  human  remains  in  Ura/il,  25 

Hyer,   the  ruins  of  iVzlalan,  Wiscon- 
I       sin,  92,  93.  _   • 

I 
'   Illinois,  shell-heaps  in,  56 

: cloth  in  mo\inds  of,  177 

I   copper  turtle^  fnnn  mound,  177 

! mound  at  Caludiia,  103 

j mounds  in,  85,  87 

' sepulchral    mounds     in 

I       county,  120 
Stone  cists  in   Madison 

II? 
Implement^,  in  the  drift  near  ' 

(         (X.J.,I2(> 

' in  post-tertiary  alluvial    ( 

20 

jiolished  stone  hatchets  found  on 

the  banks  of  the  Maroni,  Sinna- 
mari,  Cayenne,  and  Aprouague 
rivers  (Guiana),  27 

I of  the  neolithic  type,  from    lUie- 

iios  Ayres,  2S 

in  she!l-hea|is,  47 

from  tlie  (iasconade   river   (Mis- 
souri) cave,  71 

from  altar  mounds,  107,  loS. 

-of  the  Cliff  Dwellers,  245  ;  with 

tlie  exception  of  a  few  cojiper  rings, 
no    metal    implement   or  armament 
lias  i)een  found,  24') 
Tiicas,  6 
Indiana,  shell-heaps  in,  56 

burial  mound  at  I'orl  NN'avne,  112 

P'l'^  from,  165 

Indians,     arrangeiiient     of    wigwams, 
7S  ;  of  New  Mexico,  shelter  of,  78 

I fortitications  of,  98 

I   crein.iliou  amongst,  119 

; their  diflerences,  1S7 

their  culture,  Creeks  and  Natcliez, 

190  ;  Chenikees,  Kjo  ;  Iroquois,  192  ; 
j        Mandans,  193  ;  Chippewas,  193 


Carroll 

county, 

rrenton, 

leposits. 


camp,  7(1-77 
Intiliuatana,  417  ;  of  I'isac,  418 
Iowa,  biuies   of   the    Mastodon    mixed 

with  stone  weapons  found  in,  37 

shell-heaps  in,  5') 

• •  mounds  in,  82,  S5 

mounds  near  Toulesborough,  84, 

113 


/■^v;A•.\'. 


lUlL 


TowP,  skeletons  in  mounds  at   D.iven 
port,  113 

clephant-shapc  st.mu  pipe  !mn 

163  11, 

——copper   axes   wnippe.l    ii,    doth 

troni  mounds,  177 
Ipswich  (Mavsachusetls)lunuan  !,ones 

wilh  nuuks  of  \vorknlall^hip,  59 
Iron  amoni;  tlie  Mound  liuiliiei-,    iSo 
Iron    (meteorie)   in   the   i.iule  Miami 

mounds,  180 
Inxiuois,  canniliai;sm  anion^'st,  62 

—  fonifieations  of,  98 

IniL^atiiin  canals  in  .vlissouri,  il'i) 
Me  k.iyal,  ancient  copper  minim' on, 

Im  i.ii.Xnciiiri.,  the  historian,  12 
lzain:\l,  ruins  of,  3.(9 

Jadeilehatcliet  fnini  Iha/il,  475 

Japan,  resemldance  of  i:s   |irchistoric 
pottery  lo  liiat  of  Ametica,  139 

JoNKs,     cxamiualion     of    twenty-one 
^lallls  from  Tennessee  stcme  I'l'aves 
4S8  *"        " 

,Jnii;aipa  (Xicaragu.i),  m.ainds  near,  97    i 

Kali.di,  mills  ol",  340  I 

Kcd^.unpia  (loua)  shell-heap,  56 

Kennicott  inoiind,  skiilis  fium,  of  de- 
^  i^'raded  type,  4S3  1 

Kentucl<y,  caves  as  imriai  places,    '  |. 

human  lioiies  in  cave  near  l.uui--   ! 

ville,  74  I 

Sah     cave,   75;    Saumlers   cave, 

75;      Haunled     cave,    75;    Short's 
cave,  7() 

Kicivapoo  river  (Wisconsin),   nuniiids 
on,  loS-109 

Kickapoos,  caiinilialisni  amoiiL;;-!,  62       ' 

Kiiicuid's     Hat    (Cal.),   >tune'   imple- 
ments  near,  39 

Kiiciien-.Middens  or  shell-heaps  de- 
scribed, 40  ;  where  found,  47  ;  their 
laij^e  diiiiensinii-,  4;  ;  authorities 
upon  American,  47  ;  stone  iinple- 
meilts  uncoiniiioii  in,  4s  ;  lioiie-.  of 
animals  found  in,  49:  liones  of 
man  found  in.  51  ;  in  OreL,'i'n,  51  ; 
oil  Vanci)tiver's  l-l.md,  52;  nn  the 
Mississippi  river,  stj ;  cm  J'lorida 
rivers,  57 ;  contain  ^helN  of  the 
^l/ztpH/Ai/iii  lilt  J  /\:!iiJiii.i,  57  ; 
oy^ters  most  alnindaiit  in  l>aiii-h 
shelt-lieap-i,  57  ;    aNo  in  >helld'.c-a|i 


S45 


K'tc.cn-Midden,,  Ageof.  64;ori.M„ 

"iii<mnvnto.he[n,l,ans,64;  on  Point 
M.  (.eorge  (California)  attributed  to 
'l'^-<lohgates,C4;  accumulations  of 
niauv  generations,  65  ;  those  of  Cal- 
iforni.a  more  recent  than  those  of 
i-lorula,  65;  differences  in  their 
contents  not  proof  of  difTerent  races, 
t)":  ilaleof  formation  estimated  by 
trees  growing  upon  them,  67 

Kokopas       (Indians),      cremation 
_amiing>t,  119 

Koleeiuokee,  pyramid  of,  106 

Labna,  ruins  of,  340 

l.agoa   Santa  (Hrazil),  skull,  descriiv 

tion  of,  47S 
Lake    Monroe     (Florida),    shell-heap 
with  human  bones,  58 

I the  M)urce  of  the  Mound  liuild- 

j       ers,  copper,  17S 
Lake  Superior  mines,  slone  hammers 

"1.  39 
r.angu.ages,  the  number  of  dialect-.,  5 

; .Aymara  anil  (iuaiani,  5 

I divi.^iim  of  dialects  into  groups,  5 

rosemblance  in  structure  of,  6 

La    Plata,     earthenware     and   arrow 
head-,  from  the  banks  of,  27 

pottery  of,  472 

i.il)erty  (Ohio),  innunds  at,  100 
Llama,  its  utility,  3 
Llaiitu  (the),  419 

l.'okout  Mountain,  mound  on,  92 
l.onllard  City,  ruins  of,  333 
Louisiana,  ancient  skeleton  found  in 
Xtw  Orleans,  35 

rei  d  mat  found  in  salt  mines  on 

Lsland  of  Petite  Anse,  36  ;    a^socha- 
ted  with  bone>  of  an  elei)hant 

shell-heaps  in,  47 

mounds  in,  »2 

garden  bed>  in,  1S2 

Louisville  (Iventucky),  human   bones 

in  cave  near,  74 
Lowl.nid  villages  described,   203,  the 
e^tufas,    204 ;    observation    towers, 
204 
Lund,    lemaiks  of    the   I.agoa-Santa 
skull,  479,  4S0 


>LtcLIiho  valley,   ancient    ruins    in, 
J14 


»/■ 


of  Cape  Cod  and  Maine,  57  ;  rude- 
lies-,  of  pottery  in  Florida  sliell- 
.hiaps,  5S 


Mackinac  Island,  sea  shell  pen  lants 

from,  171 

Madisonville,  pits  at,  52,  53  ;  one  of 
I       them  contains  i.orn,  53 


i 


V 


•  I 


,    IT 


% 


546 


/'A'/:-///sroA'/r  .im/u/cl 


MiuliMiMville  (Ohio),  skilch.n.^  in 
inoiinils  at,  113 

Mnlu|u;ili\vitl  (tlici,  170 

.\hiiiu-,  >lu;ll  hc:ips,  4?  ;  bones  ol  ani- 
mals fouiiil  in,  49 

taiinib.ili-m  in,  fi) 

Maniniolii  (.'a\f,  plaiyiiicmii:  tibi.v 
fii;ni,  493 

Mammoth  in  ghicial  clay  in  Ohio,  19 

Man  on  the  .Vnurican  Continent,  lii- 
t;nMt  antiiiiiity,  14 

M.'iruc.is  (icira-cotta  slatnelle>)  in 
llondnras  and  (aiatcmala,  1117 

Man<ian>,  foriitiualions  of,  ip 

Manioc,  iilijjcnons  lo  Amciica,  4 

Mann>ciiiiisof  ihcA/tccs,  the  Troano 
manuscript,  379 

of  the   Mexican^,  379;  difftrcnt 

styles  of,  3S0 

MaianluV)  (liia/il),  weapon^  fioni.  475 
A/(ii[^i'.'i/!ii  (ipiiiihi,  shell.>  of,  in   llii; 

Mound,  Si.  l.oui',  1 17 
Miirs^liiclii!  ii'ihii/ii/i',  17J 
Marielia  {Ohio),  niinuuK  at,  102 
Maio;-i  river  ((.iniana),  ])oli>~lied   stone 

ha!iht'ts  from  t!ir  l)ank>  of,  27 
Ma^-.^,  lr.i-ctl~.   -lull-heaps  in,   47,48 
hiunaii    1 e-.    with    niaiks    of 

woi  Luian^liip,  at  lp>«icli,  59 
Ma.ioi.in,  1? 

ill  i;l.u;ial  clay  in  <  ihio,  19 

with  human   remains  in    lluenos 

Ma'.oniiplc,  niound  at,  105 

Ma\imi-,  canndiali-m,  62 

Mayas  (ilie),  12 

Maya~   (llitl.  2(jJ  ;    their  ''mpire   and 

capital,  2(13.  204  :  lii;end  al)out  the 

f'>ii:;din,i;  ol  tlu'  confe^icration,  264  ; 

Votan,  2(''4  ;  katnnev  of  Maya  hi-- 

toiy,    265  ;    nianusnipls    (vf,    2(it')  ; 

religious  saciitices,  206  ;  idols,  2()i>  ; 

metals,    ornaments,    and    weap 'Us, 

2O9 
— —  i-avij^aiii  n  amonj;,  2119  ;  houses, 

27'    ;  temples,  271) 

crania  of,  artificially  deformed, 

Met;alil]is.  424 
.h't\'(t/i<in:\,  15 
Miiltit/uriu'K,  15,  16 
Menhirs,  on  mounds  at  F.-quimalt,  52 
Mercedes  (liuenus  Ayresl,  human  fos- 
sils near,  29 
Merom,  skull>  from.  453 
Messier  mound  (Ijeof^ia),  uX) 
Mexicans,  t> 
Mexico,  city  of,  scraper  from  nc.ir,  22 


Mexico,  cinnilialisni  in,  61 

caves    a>    liurial   places,   (19;    jn 

general  they  contain   no  evidence  (jf 

pri- vious  haliiiation,  (19 

nKuinds  in,  82 

ancient  l)as-ieliefs  of  the  serpent, 

127 
.Mexico,     resenddancc    of    ils  aiu  iiiil 

numuments  to  tho-e  of  Mi;vpi,  14 

Winked     stones    in     ixpst-terli.uv 

Wk\-,,  22;  liatchei  from  the  Kiii 
Jnchipila,  22  ;  spear  point  from  liie 
( iuan.ijuaio,  22;  scraper  from  m^ar 
Mexico,  22 

tra(lilioii-~   rej.;ardiii<,;  convnKions 

of  nature  in,   17 

or    'i'enMehlitl.'.n,    fouiulini;    of, 


re>cnil)lanco  of    skulls    from,  to 

tho.-,e  of  the  Mound  liudders,  i;oo 
Mica,  in  llie  miniiuls,  109 
Mica  ornanienI->  (see  onianieiUs). 
j   Miehij;.in,  mounds  in.  ^2 

ancient  polleiy   in,    136 

I  coli.ir  of  hear  teeth  and  beads  of 

bird-,    bones  an<l  ("ppcr.  from   near 

.•-^l.  ( 'lair  I  i\ei,   1  72 
.Minne-ot.i.  shell  he.ips,  50 
sc|,iiiiliral    mounds   on     the  St. 

I'eler's  Kiver,  12  i 

s])ider-sliaped   nnimdin     IJ! 

.M  issi.;sippi,  jar  fiMui   near   the    1  .illa- 

hauliie  river,  lo^ 

mounds  in,   Sj 

sepnkhral    niouml    near    Mu-ca- 

e.itine,  1  l() 
pottery    in    sepidchr.il    mounds, 

shell-heaps  1)11  b.mks  of,  56 

Mississippi  valley,  mounds  in,  80 
.Missour',  Mastod<in  and  arrow  points 

near  lio.irbeuse  river,  3'' 

s;une  near  I'olalo  river,  37 

s)u  ll-heaps,  -^d 

cave  ill  I'uhski  county,  70 

nn Kinds  in,  82 

nunilier  of  mounds  in,  S-; 

ni"unds  near  St.  I.ouis,  86 

mounds  at  Sandy-Woods   settle- 

nuiit,  ()5 
— —     -lailchial  mounds  near  Trenton, 

114 

irri-;aiion  canals  in,  129 

ancieni  jxitlery  in,  13s,,  136 

— —  clay  l)ottlo  at  New  Madrid,  139 

jjoltery  j.ir  fiom,  139 

vase  in  sejjul>  hral  mound  in,  142 

M3 


i.yj>/:x. 


547 


Missouri,  vast'  from  New  Mndiid,  i^^ 

• vase  from  grave,  146 

■ cookinj,'    pot,    14S  ;    ves.,:l    with 

spout,  T4S  ;  vessel  fmni,  14,1  ;  basins 

from,  149,  150 

cup  from   New  Mailrid,  1  qo 

pottery    in    sepulchral    mniiiuls 

'5' 
earthenware  pipe  from,    152 

red  vase  with  snake,  153 

lish-sliaped  vase  from,  155 

vases  representing  man,  15(1,  i:;;, 

jiipes  from  Mound  (.:ity,  164 

pipe  fioin,  l()5 

ancient  minint;  in,  iSo 

skull   a^^ocialed  with   tooth  of  a 

mastodon  from  New  Madrid  nuiiind 

4'<a 

low  type  skidl   from  mounds  of 

two  cateL;or!es  of   skulls  authcn- 

ticnted,  4SS 

Missouri  valley,  ni'  unds  in,  So 

Mitla,  ruins  of,  31  4 

Mi.\coatl,    the  SCI  pent  of  the  cloiuls, 
god  of  the  Cliicliiniccs,  2S0 

Mobile,  sliell-hcap  50  miles  from,  4S 

Moid.cy,    found    fossil    in    lira/.il,   by 
l.iiiil,  25 

Monk^'  Miinnd,  loi 

Monte  Cuyo,   near  Valahao,  the  work 
of  man,  S2 

Montcuma   valley,    ancient    ruins  in,    , 
*•  *  / 

Mounds,  alluded  to  by  the  Spanir.rds, 
So;  tirst  specially  noticed  by  far- 
ver  (1776)  and  Marie  (1791'),  So; 
l?reckenMdt;e  (1S14)  wroie  alxnit 
them,  80  ;  -cientilically  described 
liy  S'pitcr  and  Davis,  So;  the 
mounds  dcNciibcd,  Si,  S^;  near 
Canipana  (liucnos  Ayre--),  Sj,  S4. 
classilication  of,  Sy,  8S  ;  defen- 
sive woiks,  SS  ;  modern  cities  on 
the  sites,  of,  SS  ;  at  liotirneviUe 
(Ohio).  S(,;  al  I'ort  Hill  (Ohio),  89, 
911;  in  Chiike  ciuiniy  (Ohio),  90; 
Clark's  woiks  in  Ross  countv 
(Ohio),  91  ;  along  the  IJig  Ilarpetli 
and  lireat  Miami  rivers,  91  ;  Miani- 
islnirgh  mound,  92  ;  Fort  Ancient, 
92  ;  on  F.ookoni  Muiintaiii,  92  ; 
A/t.ibin,  Kock  river  (Wisconsin), 
92,  93;  at  ( "1 1 eenwodd  (Tennessee), 
()4  ;  at  S.mdy-Woods  settlement 
(Missouri).  ()5  ;  on  Little  River,  96; 
near  Juigalpa,  (Nicaragua),  97  ;  gen- 


c.al     nrm   of   the  moun.ls  (for  de- 
f'^Mcc,  of  the  Mississippi  v,alley,  97- 
erected  as  permanent  fortifications' 
')7,  qS;  among  the  Indians,  „S  •  ^ 
J^cwark   (Ohio),  99;atCiiillia;,l,e 
V'  '■!"''=  •^^''"Pe-lown  (O.),  100; 
at    laberty(0.),  loojat  Circlevillc 
(O.),    10 r  ;  near  Black   Run,    Ross 
county    (O.),     loi;       as      temples, 
'"t;    at     Marietta   (0.),     102';    al 
Cahokia  (Illinois),  103;  at   Selt/er- 
l"wn,     103  ;     at     New      Madrid, 
"4;     at      Matontiple,    105;     on 
!he  Ltowah  river,    105  ;   the    Mes- 
sier    mound    (Ceorgia),    106;    the 
pyramid  of  Koleeniokec,  106  ;  'in  die 
Cumbeiland      valley     (Tennessee), 
lo() ;  at  Olympia,  (Washington  Ter- 
ritory), 106  ;  at  Florence  (Alabama), 
106  ;  as  altars,  107  ;  on  the  Kick- 
apoo   river  (Wisconsin),  108,   ion  • 
sepulchral   mounds,    no;    different 
I'o-itions  of  the  boiliesin,  in,  112  • 
atChillicothe(0.),  112  ; at  Ma'dison- 
ville  (O.).  113;  at  Davenport  (la.), 
ii.i;  at  'I'o  ilcsboixuigh  (Iowa),  113; 
at   Trenton   (Missouri),    114;    near 
Nashville     (Tennessee),      115;     at 
Grove    creek    (Virginia),     iib;    at 
Ilarrisonville  (Ohi,;),  ii(, ;  in  Utah, 
JKj  ;    Dig  .Mound  (St.  Louis),  117; 
Coiiuett's   mound   (Ohio),    iiS  ;   in 
Florida,      ITS;      near     Muscatine 
(Mis-i-sippi),  u,,  ;  in  Carroll  coun- 
ty,^ (Illinois),   120  ;  on  the  St.   I'e- 
ter'sriver(Minnesota),  121  ;  mounds 
represeiuiug  animals,   123  ;   almost 
con  lined  to  the  Northern  and  West- 
ern States,  123  ;  bird-shaped  mound 
ill  Georgia,  123  ;  at  I'ewaukee  (Wis- 
consin),     123;     in     Dane     county 
(Wisconsin),      124;       "Alligator" 
mound,     Granville     (Ohio),     125; 
"  Mastodon  "  mound,  125  ;  animal- 
shaped  mounds  in  Wisconsin,  126; 
snake-sha|)ed     mound     on     Brush 
creek  (Ohio),  ii6  ;  on  the  banks  of 
the   Wisconsin,    127  ;   cro~s-sliaped 
mounds,   129  ;   boat-shaiicd  mound 
on  the  Scioto,  129  ;  mounds  Obsid- 
ian in,  170 
Monuments   of    Mexico,     i'orii,    and 
Central  America,  their  resemblanci' 
to    the    temples    and     palaces    o.' 

Egypt,  14 

Moreaii  river,  mound  city  on,  1S6 
MoKENO,  paraderos  in  Buenos  Ayrcs, 
54 


54S 


PA'  /■;-  ///.S"  7Y  >  AVr  •  .  /  .}//■:  A\'( '.  / . 


Morton's  tables  of  capacities  of  In- 
dian skulls,  4S() 

Mound  limUlcis,  sec  also  nnilcr  "  Trc- 
liislorie  Anieiicans  " 

Mound  lUiiUlcrs,  their  weapons,  see 
"  Weapons  of  ihe  Mouiid  liuiU!- 
crs 

Mound  lUiildcrs  in  the  Missl»ippi 
valley,  13 

ereinalion    practieeil    amongst, 

III,  iiS,  119 

eannil)alism  ainoni;st,  119 

irri;^ati(>n  canals  built  by,  129 

the  ancestors  of  the  Indians,  130, 

131 

sturdy  >niol<ers,  ido 

method  of  exccutiuL;  their  sculp- 
tures, I  (18 

their  elolhinj;,  177 

territory  oiA\ipied  by,  1S3  ;  cliar- 

acteriNtics  of,  183  ;  did  they  disap- 
pear ?  1S3  ;  or  are  the  red  Indians 
their    descendant>?    183,    1S4  ;    all 
the  mounds  the  work  of  a  ])eople  in 
abou'  liu- same  slngeof  culture,  1S4  ; 
the   Mound  !5uilders  must  have  Ioul; 
dwelt  in  tiie  rei^ion,  l!^4  ;  symmeliy 
of  some  of  iho  mounds  a^  evidenie 
that  they  were  not  built  by  the  In- 
dians,  iS(),    187  ;    this  and   '.dmilar 
arguments    refuted    by    recent     ic- 
searches,  1 87  ;  not  improbable  that 
sepulchral   ciiandiers  were  used  by 
some    Indians,    iSS  ;    testimony   of 
Spanish  historians,  1S9  ;  the  natives 
of  Florida  and  the  Mississi]ipi  val- 
ley lived   in  forlilied   towns   al    the 
time  of  the  Spanish   invasion,  1S9; 
traces  of  strucuiies  analoi^fius  to  tlie 
moumls  found    aimmj;    the    Creeks 
and    Natchez,    l()o  ;    chunk    yards, 
190;  niDUiuls  in  Western  New  \'ork 
believed  to    have  been    erected   by 
the  Iroquois,   192  ;  apparent  differ- 
ences    in    structure     lietween     the 
Mound    Guilders   and    the    Indians 
tend  to  disappear  on  more  thorough 
examination,    194  ;    resend)lance  of 
the  Mound   Builders  to  the  Aztecs, 
19O  ;  e-limates  as  to  their  anti(iuily, 
196, 197 

■  IniiK's  of,  4S1  ;  skull  from   New 

Madrid,  Missouri,  4S2 
Muirakitan  the,  473 
Mummies     in     caves,     in     California, 

Mexico,  and  I'eru,  61) 
Mummy  from  Chacota,  504 
Afylodon,  15,  17 


Naluiaii  (ilie),  race,  1 1 

cradle  of  the,  13 

Neanderthal     skull,    comparison    of, 
with  some  skulls   from  the  nmunds, 

Nebraska,    bnnes    of    tlie     mastodon 
mixed   \\ith   simu-  weapons,   found 

ill.  37 

mounds  in,  82 

New  Almaden  nunes  (Cal.)i  skeletons 

ami  sti>ne  hammers  in,  39 
Newark  (Ohio),  mounds  near,  99 
New  Fngland,  visited  by  Norlhinen,  I 
Newfoundland,      ils     discoveiy,     ^2  ; 

shell-heaps,    47,     52 ;     uninhabited 

when  discovered,  52 
New    Jersey,    stone      luinmur    from 

remberton,  22-24 
pakvolithic    implements    in,    19, 

20,  21 

Ilint  instruments  from,  171 

New   Mailricl    (Missouri),    mound    at, 

i.)4 

cii]i  from,   I  50 

])osiuon  of  bodies  in  mound  at, 

1 12 

vase  from,  144 

skull  from  inound  at,  associated 

with  tooth  of  a  mastodon,  4S2 
New  Mexico,  Indians  of,  78 
veneralioi[  of  the  rattlesnake  in, 

127 
New   Orleans,    human     skull    found 

beneath  a  buiied  cypress,  35 

its  |)iobable  age,  35 

New  York,  discoveries  at  High    Rock 

Spring  (Saratoga),  74 

mounds  in,  82-85 

Neyba   (I'eru),    sculptured    jaguar   at 

entrance  ol  cave  near,  465 
Nezahnalccytl,  ])oems  of,   2SS 
Nicaragua  shell-hea])s,  47. 
mounds  near  Juiga!|)a,  97 

Oajaca  (Province),  caves  in,  74 

Obsidian  cut  into  knives,  etc.,  by 
Mexicans,  169-170;  in  mounds, 
170 

Ohio,  bones  of  the  mastodon,  mam- 
moth, elc,  between  beds  of  glacial 
clay,  18 

Shelter     cave,     71  ;      cave      in 

Summit  county,  72 

-      -  Ash  cave,  72 

'I'he  centre  of  mound  building, 

84 

mounds  in  Alliens  county,  86 

— —  mound  al  Fort  Hill,  89,  90 


IXJ'hX. 


(  )liii',  iikhiikI  ill  Clarki:  (•(imily,  (|n,  ijr 
"Clark's"   works,  l<,,^,'  cmuiiv 

mouiids  al  r.imrncville,  89 

nioumU  at  Niuaik,  ijij 

at  Cliillicutlic,  at   ll(>iu'tinvii,  at 

l.ilnTiy,    100;    at    CirclcNillc,   loi  ; 

iioar  I'.kack  Run,  I'v()^s  cdiiiity,  loi 
ininiiicls    at    CliillicctlR-,' I'oit- 

iitciiiili,  Marietta,  i(J2 
scimluliral  uioihrIs  at  Maiiisnn- 

villc,  113 
C'oniKjtt's   inouiid,   near    l)(>vci, 

I  iS 
alli^'alor    niouiid    at     (Iranville, 

'25 
snake-shaped   mound   on    liru.di 

cieek,  I2() 

cross-shaped  nionnds  in,  i2() 

pottery  jar  from,  140 

iieron-sha]ied  pipe  from,  163 

terra     eott.i    lii;ures    in    mounds 

near  tile  I.ittlc  Miami  river,  167 

•  serpentine  axes  from,  170 

-hell    oriianieiits    from     iiioinuls 

near  the  I.iitle  Miami,  172 
copper     heads     from    Connetl'.-, 

mound,  174 

cloth  in  mound-  of,  177 

low    type     skulls    fioiii    certain 

mound-  in,  4S4 

(^hio  valley,  mounds  in.  So 
(  Hd  Town  shelldieap,  ii-  at;o,  67 
OILintay-Tainho,  foities-  nf.  41(1 
Olyiniiia    (Wash.    Tcr.),  iiuuinds  near, 

1 06 
Orct^on,  sludhheai)-,  51 

mounds  in,  ^3 

■  -kulls  in  the  sliell-hoaps  of,  4S0 

Driyiii  of  man  in  America,  man  imt 
iiidii^cnous  to  the  New  Wm'ld,  510, 
519;  he  hail  extended  hisgeographi- 
cal  range  over  an  immense  area 
when  his  culture  was  of  ilie  lowest 
kind,  520;  impossihle  to  fix  the 
date  for  this  extension,  520 ,  ad- 
vance of  culture  niiei|ual  in  differ- 
ent localities,  ami  dependent  up.on 
the  environment,  520  ;  origin  of  the 
family,  520  ;  primitive  man  a  slave 
to  nature,  521  ;  jihysical  character- 
istics of  American  ahorigines  jioinl 
toward  althiilies  with  people  of  the 
I'acihc  regi(ni,  522  ;  emigration 
possible  r/ii  liering  Strait,  522  ;  also 
along  the  thirtieth  south  parallel, 
523  ;  it  probably  took  place  by  both 
routes,  523;   nothing  deliuite  known 


549 

'>f  ilio  spread  of  the  emigrants  ex- 
■^•-•I'ln.g  the  simple  f.act,  I23  sue 
cessive  waves  „f  migration  '  =0,  . 
cniigrants  differed  somewliai  in  cub 
','">'•  '""  '''i^  will  not  account  for 
dilfrreiicesof  culture  in  the  pie-hi- 
l"nc  Americans,  524;  stages  of 
pn'Ki-e-s  and  change-,  524;  lan- 
.^'"•V-;^'.  525;  analogic,  in  dcveloi). 
incMi  of  ideas  and  custonis  n.,t  very 
Mgnilicanl,525;  rnyil,- and  legends 
?2() ;  legends  „f  the  Tollccs  and  the 
•Jdi'i'lit-'s,  Zannia,  Cuknlcan,  and 
<^uel/;uoall,  52(.;  legends  of  the 
Miawnces,  the  Natchez,  the  Tusca- 
r""s,  526;  the  Peruvians  nnd 
Alanco-t.apac  and  Maina-i  V.Wo,  527- 
tradition  of  the  Guaranis,  '  527  | 
•  idler  legend-,  |;27;  legends  about 
ll'""K  527.  52S,  529,  530,  531; 
cruile  liyp,iihe-cs  regarding  ances- 
tors of  thu  American-,  531 

Ornament-  of  the  Mound  Builders, 
171:  near  St.  Clair  River  (Micliigan)' 
171  ;  cdpper  (iriianicnts  in  Ten- 
iie— ee,  172;  mica  ornaments  at 
Cave  Creek  (Virginia),  172;  on 
the  Little  Miami  (Ohio),  172;  -hell 
ornaments,  172;  from  Tennessee, 
173;  from  Mackinac  Island,  173; 
liii  fnnn  Kly  niouiul  (\'irginia), 
lioii-hed  -lone  ornaments, 
frtnu  Suaiiton  (Vermont), 
copper  heads  from  Connett's 
mound  (Ohio),  174,  175;  cell-,  175  ; 
copper  CIO- at  /,nllie(]ffer  Hill,  175- 
177;  copper  turlles  in  ||linoi^,  177; 
skill  uith  copper  head-,  17S 

O-cenla  inouiiil,  human  remain- prov- 
ing eannilialism,  fij 

Otuiuha,  re-emhlance  of  skulls  from, 
to  those  of  the  Mouiul  builders, 
500 

Ouitotos,  cannihali-m  among,  63 

O/ark  mountains,  ancient  mining  in 
the,  ISO 

Ozark  hills,  covered  with  cairns,  S4 

rachacamac,  ruin-  of.  392  ;  cemetery 

at,  433 
Palca  (Peru),  clinipa  at,  425 
Paleiiipie,  monuments  of,  318 
Pampas  (the),  human  remains   found 
in,  28,  29,  30,  31 

theoiie-  <if  Marwin,  lUiriiieister, 

lirav.iid,  .\iiieglii]U),  D'Orhigny,  re- 
garding llieir  geological  age  and 
inclhod  of  foniKuiun,  31,  32 


f 


shel 
174; 
'74; 
174; 


M 


550 


/'A'/:-///S/i>A/r  AM!  KIVA. 


Para   (!'''•'''''),  inla;4li(),   sculiitiiies  of, 

4'»l 
raiaUi'itis  iif   l'ataj;imia,  triaiii;iilar  ar- 

ri)\v-]>iiiiiis  in,  27 
Ill  1  .1  I'laiaaiul  lUii'iios  Ayic^,  54, 

55 
Taraiia    (ilic),   ]>arailor(>   on,    54  ;     rc- 

niarUalili'  miiplLiuciils  in  llic,  55 
(liM.ovl^iL■^   of    arms    of    i)Ia-.lic 

clay  ntMi  ilic  mouth  of,  474 
PataLjonia,  amiint  men  of  >niall  stat- 

uii.'  anil  (lci|u'lioci'i>iialic,  505 
— —    aiio\v-|n)iiit!>    in    llic    paiailcros 

of,  27  ;    Mime   lesiMuble   luiioiican, 

oilici>  Peruvian  typis,  27 
ili^cowry  of  a  .skull  on  tlic  liank> 

of  the  Kio  Negro,  32 

slu'll-licaiis,  47 

mmnuls  in,  ^3 

(Kfoinialion      of      'I'tliuclchfs, 

skulls  fiom,  51 1 
Pata;4oiiiaii-,  llicir  lofty  stnhirc,  3,  10 
Paucar-'laiulio,  lonilis  in  llir  valley  >  if, 

435 

Pcmliirloil  (New  Jersey),  >tnne  ham- 
mer frnni,  2J,  24 

Peiin^yhaiiia,  ancici\l  soaii>lone  (|uar- 
ry  ai  Cliri>iiana,  Laneaslur  county, 
51 

eaniiibali-m  in,  Cil 

de|io-iis  of  i^iiano  containing  fTold 

and  silver  iniaues,  OS 

cave^  a^  burial  ])laeos,  do 

cave  with  human  remains  on  ihe 

SuM|ueluinna.  73 

mojiiii-  in.  Si  ,  ?2 

ini'Uiid>  in  Pike  county,  Sfi 

liuin,;u  remains  eiiclo^eil  in  bas- 
ket-, I  14 

Peru,  llie  country  de>cribeil,  3S7  ;  the 
empiri'  of  the  Incas,  3SS  ;  'I'avan- 
li-.uyu  the  real  name,  3SS  ;  the 
region  defined,  38S  ;  the  origin  of 
the  Incas,  3S(_)  ;  Aymaras  and 
(jtiuicliuas,  390  ;  Manco-Capae, 
3S1).  391  ;  Atahualpa,  391  ;  landin,; 
of  I'i.'airo,  391  ;  ruin.^  of  Peru,  392  ; 
I'achaeaniac,  392  ;  thcChimu-.  3114  ; 
Monlomns,  accounts  of,  3()5  ;  tlie 
city  of  t'himu,  395  ;  "  luiaca-," 
395,  Obispo  huaca,  396  ;  bu.ica  of 
Moclie,  396  ;  necropoliN  of  Chiinii, 
399;  el  |iresidio,  309;  piivate 
houvcs,  400;  Tiaguanaco,  400; 
monoliths,  401  ;  of  earlier  date  than 
the  Inca-,  401  ;  were  the  liuilders 
of  'liaguanaco  related  to  the  <J(]ui- 
chuas?   4uO  ;     Lake    'Piticaca,  406  ; 


i-land    iif   Titieaea,    4nCi  ;    ruins  on, 
407  ;    budding-,   elected    by    1  iipae- 
\'iipani|ai,  the    eleventh    Iiua,  408; 
island    of    I'oati,    ruins     of,     41  9  ; 
islanil  of  Soto,  4IU  ;    Cu/co,  hgintl 
of   it-   fciuiul.itioii,    4:0  ;    (bfliiiiliii  s 
of  building,    411;     luiii".    (if,    411: 
(»randeur  of    the     Sac-ahu.imaii,   or 
foitii>s,   412;    ai|uediicl,    413;    ilie 
temple,   413  I     pnv.ite    ihvellii.gs    of 
the  Inc.is,  414,   foiircsscs  of    Pent, 
415;  ruins  on  the  L'c.iyali,  411;  ;   fur- 
tre>-.  of  OUantay-'l  anibo,    41(1;   llie 
tower  of   Calca,    417;    lhe\idleyof 
I'auca-Tambo    and    the    foriiess   of 
I'l-ac,  417;    intihuatana,    417;   the 
fortress    of     Picpiilku-la,     419;     the 
forties- of  ( 'hoceei|uii.io,   4111;  lo.uU 
of    Peru,   4JI  ;     rrMi\ciii-    iind   aie- 
ipiia-,  4JJ  ;   III  the  valli  v  of  Pa   Ne- 
pafia,  422  ;   in  llu.imnd    \iijo,  423; 
agriiulture,  423  ;    fuiu  i.il   rites,  424  ; 
sep'.ilehres    of     the    A\niaias,    424; 
megaliths,   424  ,     megalith-    of    \"il- 
cali.imba  ami  (hicuiio.  421  ;   mega- 
li;h->    and    eliul]ia-.    at     Acoi.i,   424  ; 
cliiilpa   near    I'aK'a,     425;    il.ulpa^ 
of  the  ba-in  of    Lake   'I'lticaca,  42(1  ; 
near  'riuluiani   in    the    Mscoma   val- 
ley, 427  ,  liunal  eusionts  at  lime  tif 
concpiest,  427  ;    burial    customs    on 
the    Paeilic    coast,    428  ;     muniniies 
fioiii   Arica   and   the     P)a\'    of    Clia- 
eoa,  430;   metluidof  ]ii  t-i  1  ving  the 
bodie-.,    430;     content-    of     ti  nibs, 
431;  huaca  at  Iqiiiipie,  433;    cenie- 
leiy  at    Pachacamac,   433  ;  caves  as 
burial   places,  435  ;     'ranlama  M ar- 
ea,  435;     tombs    in      the    \alley    of 
Paui  a- lambo,       435;       inlei  iiillo-, 
435  ;  maiio  c<iloraiio,  435  ;   leligious 
ideasof  the  i'eruvian-,  435;    Ilanan- 
)iaclia  and    L'rupaclia,    43(1;    nature 
wor.-hi])  and     iiiferor    goc!-,    436;    a 
1  leus  ignotu>,  437  ;    luiniaii  saci  ilii  e, 
437  ;  goveriinieiit  of  the  Jiuas,  43S  ; 
the  eiuacas,  43S  ;     penal    laws,  439; 
ni.irriage.    439;    ju.  ,'erty,   440;  do- 
me-tic   anim,il.,     4411;      dwelling-, 
441  ;   re-iilts  of   tlic  fomi  of  govi  rn- 
nieiit,    441  ;     pottery,    442  ;    re-eni- 
blance  to    early    l'.uid|iean    jiotti  ly, 
444;  va-es  from  (himbole  and  San- 
ta, 445  :   the  silvad.ir,  446  ;   n-.u-ical 
in-tniments,    44,^;   cloth,    449;    the 
ait     of     dyeing,    449  ;     mines     and 
mining,     450;      the     jewellers'    ail, 
450;    Hon    unknown,    451  ;    copper 


/■v/>/:.\: 


551 


iinplcinoiUs,  weapons,  452  ;  hatoiis, 
J5;^  ;  I'intados  or  iiisciiptions,  453  ; 
I'cnivians  uiiiU(juainuil  witli  aiiy 
system  of  writini;  at  time  of  c.m- 
(lucst,  456  ;  <iuip()s,  457  ;  niuans  of 
transmillint;  tlie  onlers  of  ilie  lucas 

I'cni.       cscnilil:iiic  f     of     its    amifiii 

niomii.icnls  to  iliosc  of  Kj^ypt,  14 
traditions  rcj^anlint;  convulsioii:, 

of  naliiri;  in,  17 
— —  nioiiiKls  in,  83 
IV-nivians.     (See  also  under  "  Tre-lii^- 

loric  American^.") 
Peuankee  (Wisconsin),  aniinal-sliaped 

mounds  at,  123 
riiallie  eultus  in  tiie  New  World,    159 
I'iaidiy  (lira/ill,  intaglio  se\dptures  of, 

Pielot;rapliy,  of  tlie  t'lilY  liwellers, 
24(1;  on  lioulders  in  Arizona,  247  ; 
on  llie  lianUs  of  llie  S.m  Juaii,  -j^pS  ; 
near  Mii'  MacICIino,  i.vp  ;  mar  the 
I'efo-  iMiins,  2|'^;  on  llie  I'uerco 
and  Zuni  ri\ci~,  'jpi;  near  Salt 
Lake  ("ily,  241)  ;  in  laekini;  \allev, 
250  ;  in  ("nyaiioj^a  and  HLJnioiu 
counties,  250;  in  Vemionl,  250; 
in  ,\iearat;ua,  2  =  0;  in  Dajaea, 
2?!  ;  in  Sonora,  251  ;  in  Colum- 
iiia,  251  ;  in  X'ene/uel.i,  251  ;  mi 
the  Isliiinus  of  Panama,  251  ;  in 
Xevada  and  California,  251  ;  in 
Tennessee,  254  ;  in  South  America, 
254  ;  in  Africa,   252,  253,  2s4 

Piedias  I'inlada^,  470 

Pinarl,  skull  discovd'eil  liy.  in  a 
luniulns  near  the  Casa-;  Iraiide  of 
Monte/uina,  41)9 

Piipiillaeta,  fortress  of,  41(1 

Pi>ae,  fortress  of,  417 

Plalycneniia,  anionj;  the  Mound 
Iluildeis,  4c|2,  493  ;  il^  ])o-.silile 
cause,  401  :  ainoui^  the  early  Euro- 
pean ^,  494 

Popol  \'\\h  (llie),  144 

Porcelain  in  the  Tula  riiiirs,  35(1 

Porto  Sei;uio,  kindini;  of  ("abral 
at,  I) 

Portuguese,  pan  taken  be,  ni  the  dis- 
covery of  the  New  World,  S 

Potato  River  (Missouri),  mastodon  and 
arrow-points  near,  37 

I'otterv  of  the  ClitT  1  iweller-,  and  the 
inhahilants  of  the  ]iuel)los,  240  ; 
j;reat  cpninlily  of,  241  ;  its  sujierior- 
iiy  to  that  of  the  Mound  Puiidei-. 
242  ;  jar   found    in    Utah,    242  ;  it 


washaked,  243;  and  covered  with 
ii  vaiiush,  243 
l'"tlfry    of   the     inhabitants  „f     tl-c 

iniehlos,  its  decoration,  241 
Pottery  of  the  Peruvians,  442 
I'ottery,    weapons,    and    ornaments- 
— I'mtery  ammi^'  llie    first   inven. 
lions   of    the    human     race,     133  • 
numMed  on  gourds  in  Florida,  134  • 
ill   the  niouiids  of   St.  Louis,'  13?  • 
at  Sandy  WooiL,  136  ;  in  Miehii,'aii' 
iSCi;  in  Vermont.  136,  137  ;  Ainer- 
iian  poiiery  superior  to    Kuropean, 
i.V'  ;  method  of  haking,  137  ;  em- 
ployment  of  moulds,  133;  si/c  of 
llie   iiots,    138;  the   potter's  wheel 
unknown,    135  ;  hoitle  in  Misscmri, 
139;  ill  Japan,    139;  jar  in  Ohioi 
14') ;  vase  in  Arkansas,  141  ;  means 
of  eoloriiii,',   141  ;    va^e    in    sepul- 
chral mound  in  Missouri,  142;  or- 
nainenlation  of,    142,   143;  vase  at 
Xew  Madrid  (Miisoiiri),  144;  vase 
in  child's  grave,    Teimes^te,   14^  ; 
vase   from    Missouri    grave,     141  ; 
v.ise  widi  handles  froui  Tenne-ee, 
147;    cooking   pot    frnin  Missouri, 
14^;  vessel   wilh   sjiout   from  Mis- 
souri,   148;  vessel    from    MisMjuri, 
149;   h.isjiis   from,   149,    150;   eup 
from   Xew  Madrid  (Missounl,  150; 
in  sejiuliluMl  mounds   in  Missouri, 
151  ;  ditto,  in  'reiiuessee,  151  ;  ilitlo, 
in  Mississippi,  151  ;  pipe  from  Ten- 
nessee,   152  ;  ditto,  from  Missouri, 
152;    red   vase,   with    suake,    from 
NLssouri,  153;  "hear  "-shaped  vase 
from    Tennessee,    154;  jiig-shaped 
vaic,    155;  lish-diaped   vase,   155; 
vases  with  represenlalions  of  men, 
156;  from  liehnout  (Missouri),  156  ; 
from  Xew  Madrid  (Missouri),  157; 
fmv  indecent  objects  among,   159; 
superiority  of,  to  that  of  Swiss  Lake 
Dwellers,  159;  snapstoiie  p.ipe,  l6l ; 
pipe  representing  a  wild   eat,  162  ; 
ditto,  a  woodpecker  (?),  162;   ditto, 
an   elephant,   163;  ditto,   aileron, 
t'13  ;  pipes  from  Mound  City,  164; 
from   Couiieclicut,    Virgiiii.i,     Mis- 
souri,   Indiana,    lf)4,     165  ;     jiipe- 
stenis   in   Ohio,  California,  Massa- 
chusetts,   Mississippi    valley,  \'er- 
numt,   165  ;  images  in    Tennessee, 
167  ;   near  the   Little  Miami  river 
(Ohio),  167  ;  serpentine   cups  from 
California,  16S  ,  dishes  from  veile- 
l.ne  of  Cetacea,  16S  ;  jar  from  near 


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PK/:./nsTOKic  .■ij//:a'/(  ./. 


the  Tallaliatchee  river  (Mississippi), 
U)S  ;    Ininiaii  masks  in  stone,  i()S 

Pre-iiisloiic  .\iiuiii:iii>,  of  the  same 
type  as  those  "I  llmope  ami  Asia,  15 

——  jihases  of  their  eivili/atioii 
aii.iioj;(iiis  to  that  of  the  Kuro- 
liean^,  476  :  paucity  of  their  rel- 
ics, 47t)  ;  nuiiienm>  errors  resiiltii'j; 
from  excavations  by  iintraineil  men, 
477;  skull  from  near  Ueiiver  (?), 
477  ;  Ameijliino's  discoveries  of  lui- 
niaii  hones  with  tlie  remains  of  the 
j;lypioiK)n,  etc.,  in  the  l.a  I'lata 
pampas,  477  ;  discoveries  near  I'on- 
timelo.  111  Ihieiios  Ayre^,  47"^  ;  eon- 
IcinpoiaiKiiy  of  man  ami  tlie  i;lyp- 
tudon  iu>t  h  iwever,  thonuij^hly 
proven,  47S  ;  the  skull  of  l.ayoa 
Santa  (I!ia/M)  oescrilied,  478  |a 
similar  skiiU  foiiii'l  at  Kock  llliirf, 
Illinois,  471;  j  ;  remarks  011  the  l,a- 
fjoa-Saina  skull  i)y  l.uml  and  l>e 
(Jiiatiefa;^t-  47(),  480;  skulls  in 
sliell-he;ips  on  the  (.'alifomia  and 
Orej^oii  co.i>ls,  4S0  ;  skuiN  in  stea- 
tite (piany  on  inland  of  Santa  Cala- 
lina,  4S1  ;  -kiills  in  I'lond.i  shell- 
heaps,  4S1  ;  Imius  of  the  Mound 
lUiilders,  4S1  ;  skull  assoa.iicil  with 
tooili  of  a  mastoduii,  fioin  mound 
at  New  Madii'l,  Missouri,  4S2  ;  the 
di^'overy  of  fia^inenls  of  decorated 
poliery  casts  di'iiiils  upon  the  an- 
tiquity  of  the  skull,  4S2  ;  skulls  of 
low  type  loiiiid  ill  some  niouiids, 
4S3  ;  comparison  of  Stimpson's 
mound  skull  and  1  )iinKith  ( Indiana) 
mound  skull  Willi  the  Neandeithal 
skull,  483  ;  -kulU  fioii)  Keiinicott 
mound  of  des^raded  tyjie,  4S3  ;  skulls 
of  analogous  type  from  Missouri, 
Dakota,  (hihualiiia  (Mc\ico),  and 
Ohio,  4S4  ;  proiiiiiieiit  eyehiiiw^aiiil 
retreating;  foreheads  in  skulls  fiom 
\Visi()n>iii,  Mississippi  valley,  and 
'renMe--see  niounds,  4S5  ;  aiialotjou-. 
remains  frciu  the  inoiinds  near  the 
1,'ieil  lakes,  on  the  Kcd  Kivei,  and 
hetrnit  Uiver,  4S5  ;  skulls  from  t'ir- 
cularniiiuiid,  frniii  Wcsiein  inouiid, 
and  fioin  I'lUt  Wavne  mound,  4S5  ; 
some  skulls  of  very  small  ciihieal 
contents.  4^(1 ;  skiilU  ditTeriii^,' 
^;^eally  in  shape  often  found  in  same 
inounil,  487  ;  snnir>  insi.inces,  4S7  ; 
some  iiKasuriineiits  of  skulls  l)y 
l''aii|iiharsoii,  (  arr,  ami  lones,  4S7, 
4SS  ;  two  laliLMirics  of  skulls  fiom 


Missouri,  488  ;  individual  variations, 
4SS  ;  skull  of  a  child  from  Alacania 
and  from  Alabama,  488  ;  Morton's 
theory  of  the  unity  of  physical  type 
of  the  Ameiicars,  488  ;  the  foiin  i^f 
skull  li.is  bill  a  \cry  generalized 
value,  481)  ;  the  Siioto  skull  fioni 
Chillieoihe,  and  dilTerent  theoiHs 
relating  thereto,  489,  41)0  ;  some 
measurements  of  the  capacity  of  the 
skulls  of  the  Mound  Jiuilders,  4cjt) ; 
capacity  of  the  skulls  of  modern 
races,  4()i  ;  the  Mound  iiiiihlers 
seem  tostaiidlow  in  tlie  loinpaiison, 
4(11  ;  excei>lioiial  lai^e  skiiiU  fiom 
'l'eiine-.sce  stone  graves,  491  ;  fiom 
an  Illiiiiiis  mound,  41^1  ;  the  ex- 
tremely small  "  AlUany  skull,"  49!  ; 
extieines  vitiate  averaj;es,  4()2  ;  cra- 
nial capacity  not  pioof  of  high  in- 
tellectuality, nor  vice  versa,  492  ; 
]da;ycnemia  amoii^  Ameiican  races, 
4()2  ;  this  form  of  tilda  occurs  in 
30 ','  of  the  rein.iin-.  fiom  ir.oiinds  in 
Kentucky,  Mi-soiiii,  Michit;:in,  and 
Iniliaiia,  ami  from  the  I'lorida  sliell- 
liea|is,  also  from  Maminolh  Cave, 
493  ;  it  also  occurs  in  liones  imni 
the  Red  River  and  I'oil  Wayne 
mounds,  ;iiid  the  tumuli  <if  the  St. 
Clair  River,  those  near  1  ake  Union, 
on  the  one  on  (hamliei's  Island 
(WiseoiisinI,  493  ;  from  near  the 
I)etroil  River,  494  ;  causes  of 
platycnemia,  494  ;  an  indie, ilimi  of 
a  low  type  of  physical  sliuctiire. 
|i)4  ;  pl.ilycneniia  in  Kuiope,  494  ; 
perfoiation  of  the  liunuius  consid- 
ered a  racial  cliaracleiistic,  495  ; 
frequently  noticed  in  I  ones  fiom  the 
mouinls,  4i)5  ;  considered  a  charac- 
teristic of  physical  inferiority,  but  it 
appears  diflicult  to  estahlish  a  i;en- 
eral  law.  495  ;  hut  one  skeleton  «)iit 
of  ten  found  at  I'ort  Wayne  has 
pciforation  of  the  ■ilecraiinn  fossa, 
41)5  ;  a  tendency  to  ]]eifor.ition 
seems  to  diminisli  ann'iii;  luiopcan 
races,  496  ;  Mound  Ihiildeis  said  to 
have  lorn;  aims,  hut  this  contnidii  led 
liy  facts,  4')(i  ;  their  \aiiation  in 
stature,  49^1;  seven-foot  skeleNii 
from  stone  j;rave  in  'I'ennessee,  ai  d 
skeletons  exceeding  six  feet  in 
heit;ht  found  in  I'tali  and  Michi- 
j^.iii,  4<)fi  ;  lull  as  a  rule  the  Mound 
linilders  wcie  not  iliove  oidiiiary 
si/e,    and    many  of    them    weie    of 


ixni  X. 


353- 


.-.m.ill    siatiiio,    497  ;    Imncs   of    tin- 
('lill  Dwflk'is,   liiii   fi-w  ili^ccivi-riil, 
.ji)7  ;      ^kiill  from   tlu-  ('lnco  ciifinii 
(Nl'iv    McxuoI,  4i)7,  4i)S  ;   twi)  skulls 
I'l  1)111  111'. ir   Alii(|iiui)   (Nfw    Mi-ximl. 
(lo^c-iila-il    liy    l)r.   IJcsscls,   498  ;   rc- 
MiiiM.iiiL'e    i)f    lliesi.'    to    twii    skulls 
Iroiii    ri-iiiK'ssci',    .1';);     1  tc   (Jiiatii-- 
I^l;  "s    aiiil      H.iiiiy      on     lla-     ctlinu' 
i'li'iiti'v  of  iIk-  MouiiI    iSiiililtTs  .iiul 
ClilT  I)vVij11i.ts,  4cyi)  ;    the  luiiliicrsof 
the  I'.is.is-l  ir.iilo^     prolialily  of   ilic 
saiii"  r.K'e,  4()<)  ;    I'iinn's  tliscovciics 
ill  a  tiiinulu-.  iic.ir   tin.-   ( '.is.i-(  ir.imlc 
of    M  iiiiLVUm  I,    49'j  ;      skull    from 
Tinil.   4))  ;   lypo    uf    ihdimvI   cr.mia 
III)  loii^L'i-  t^.Mu-ral,    fix) ;     an.iloi^ifs 
of  iii'iuiiil  (  r.iiii.i   Willi    llioM-  o|   \\w 
aiuii'iii    iiilialiil mis     of     Aiiiliuac  ; 
skulls     from     tomlis     of      Mcmh), 
<  )luiiil).i,  ami   I".!  uha,  ainl  Saiiii.i^^o- 
rialflolcoli,     500  ;      rraiiia    uf     ilie 
Mayas  as  seen  mi  iMs-rchefs  of   I'.il- 
eniiue,   siX)  ;     artilnially    (lefoimi'l, 
500;  irania  of   llie   Iniillers    of   llic 
moiiiini-Miis   ill    N'u    iiaii   anil    lion- 
iliiras     of     a     .llT'-ronl     type.     5011; 
siiilpliiri's     c)f     (  hi,  lien-Il/a,     scmi; 
artilii:ial      ilefoiinUMii       of      skulls 
anion^jst  tlu'  IVni\;ans,    ihret-  kiinU 
of  ili'formation  practised,  anorililij,' 
to   Ci.i.se  :    the    occipital,  the    eloii- 
jjated   symiiK'lrical,  .\\v\    the    tiliiei- 
form,    501  ;    small    capaciiy    it    the 
i-rania    from   A  icon,    Inim    I'limiii, 
5111  ;    lahl'.'    of    ci.inial     lapiciiies, 
s'lj  ;  avei,i;4v   c.ip.iciiy   of   rcniviaii 
skulls    accordiui;     to     Morion    and 
Melius    and    N'|iiui,     soj  ;   raies   of   1 
l''i  1,    llie   ('hincli.is,    the   .Aymiras, 
ilic     lliiancas,    i;i)-' ;      Kixeio    and 
I'scluidi  think    thai    artiliciai  defor- 
niuioii    \v,is    conlillid    to    the    ('lill'- 
clias,  doiiliis  ahiuit   this,  502  ;    dilli- 
cullies       in       simlvini;       lace-txpcs 
S;rcatly  incieased  hy  iiiteiniixiiiie  "f  | 
races,    51H  ;    skulls'  of  a   vaiuH    "f   ( 
shapes  found  at   the  caslil!o  fl   tin 
^,'reit    (!himu    by    .Sijiiier,   5".' I   ' 'f- 
Wilson    admits     only    i«i>   lii  '  ihi 
types  i)f    I'eruvian   skiilN,  50!:  dif- 
ferences in  skull  types  do  iini  n>'- 
.sarily    imply    dilTerent     !;u<-.    5"i: 
ohservations    from   iiiuiniiiit-. 
mnniiny  from  I'haiot.i,  -vi^'.  ' 
the  I'.TUvians  of  line   teMui  ■ 
al)ly  Idack  in  color.  ?i'4  :  '•''" 
was  woiii  liy  hotli  intii  an  1  "■ 


eof;  ;   iiitMliniicd  held  of  a  ti.aii,  fOf, 
sod  ;  niicHiii  nil  11  of    r.Ti.iy<inia  ic- 
sendilcil  ilic  Kskiiiii'.  5<  5  ;  iliLthc- 
ceph.ilic   skulls    (n  ni     Ui.nzil,   505; 
the     I'.olocuiliis     a     dohclunci  Imhc 
race,    505;    ihty   ]  le^cnI    aiiiln;ies 
with   the    F^k.iiiii,  505  ;  \\<ie  ll  eve 
pfopie  CI  iiiinipcr.Tiiis  of  llic  tiiie- 
jieaii  paki'liiliic  ]  u  pie  ?  ftfi ;  >>]  lii- 
lis    iiiiuiiijjst    llic     Mi  11 11(1    Iinldeis 
and  III    1  al.T>;i'iii.i,  507;  ihc  M.iy.ns 
aci|iiaiiited   wuli  Mntital  .iffu linns, 
SOS  :    other    (;isi:i>es  of  tlic  Iciies, 
£ii"  ;    lai(juli;iiM>n  dociiltsa  Itsicn 
uhiih  appeals   lo  haxc  1  ten  ciircii, 
sn.s  ;  skulls  hcaiii^i;  ii!'ie!-of  aiicicm 
iidl.iii:iiiaiiip|i,  fii  ni  '1 11  iH>Mc,  fiS  ; 
aiiili>li-cd    \ciulral   lohinii!   ficm 
llie  Alculian     Islamis,   colltiltd   ly 
I  "all,    :os  ;     l:iiM>    fit  "1    iiri;niaiic 
causes  "lu  t   laic,  fiS  :  fiailiiiKi  le- 
niviaii  -kulls  wilh  c%idiiut<  1  m.  v- 
ciy,  si.i:    lupaiiiicd  .skidl  Inin  \\- 
ciV  vadcv,    51.1.    fK':  I  <>:!  1,11.1  lis 
irep.inniii'fjs  if  jiiijiicM  i.ii;n<i.u, 
501^;    livp...l..-es     ucinchii;   di-i. 
io,,;    tlcp.iMo!    -klills   (I.  Ill    .V!" 
.\ml   Red    KAcr    luni.N  ;ii.  In  11; 
mounds  M    M  Ju^.iii.    511  .;  iHl-.i:- 
„:„,.  ,.|ilc  I  KUtiscii  on   .•iia:.!  mil,.-, 
Uo";    iKiaMHii    skulls    in   I>!"l<-;. 

>kuli  dc 


, .  ni|ni;ni; 
.-kill-,  fn 


dilii.iily  it 

the  .\u.i  i.i..ni 

foiiiiat;  M    p  .ri-c.      . 

I  .,.l.|l!c-I,  fit;  Iheili- 
HMci,'.  51--:  dtU'llv.alHli 
U  .x\\  ihc  Mi.ya  laus. 
,'.,.  h    Ikiiltnid    Icii-. 

|,v    xU-     .M.-M|Uiles.  in 

Ml-    lii:dlh   nor   inlclli. 

\,;,',;;v  ii.iuicd    I>y  tills 

d,f..iinaiii'"    1"-"'- 

arii    A-i.i.  5' 

111   1.1  ii'. 


.It  ' 

lllr 

loin 

M  IV 

pl.U 

■;-,.l 

;i.' 

111, 

:  1   ' 

;    11;, 

( 

MW 

\  U. 

r,.;i, 

;,l  11 

C       .1] 

I  1: 


in 

Cl'cl- 


,  I  1: life 

,„,tMU      l,.lll.i|l.>.1l"l'i      .-'•■•    ■  -• 

•  "^'"  ^""^-  "hi  l.t.l'e  f-.u  .1- 


e|S. 


Ami.  H' .111  il'"",  .     „  , 

.1,,,,..    .mill    ilicrc  IS  11" 
let"  cm 


iiiili.iii 

,|,vsu-al  <lili<-"'"-^'  ^„ 

,a-    aid   niigiati""^  "f  H'    •  " 


s-iiiiial 
III  and 

\arie- 


ioj  : 

,.111  if 

p.„h. 

\\  ill 

.111'  n. 


fXistOtlCC 


.  ,,f  111.1"  111 


PK-Ili-IKIU-  UKI". 

""•'>'"^""";:';^.'r     .."aiiuiials, 
c<micMip"Mf)  <'i 


< 


554 


rnK-ins roA'/c  .1  .i/a a/c a . 


l'ri'-lii->iiirio  man  his  weapons,  if) 
his  i'M>tfnci'  iluriny  ijlatial  times, 

I') 

lumcs  of,  asMKJ.itcd  witli  those  of 

t\lnu.l  anim.iN,  23 

hi-.  :inii(|iiiiy  in  Americ.i,  accord- 
ing; \<>  1  iind,  J(i 

iii^    leniains    in    the    Sumi<h>iiro 

cave  eonneeled  witli  the  iciiuieer 
|>i'iioil  in  F.uroiie  and  not  with  the 
inaininolh,  20 

ius  rein.uii^  a->ociatid  with  those 

of  the  exlinet  maniinalia  in  Huenos 
Ayies,  as,  29 

his  skull   fonnd  on  the  lonks  of 


the  Kio  Ne^io(l'alayonia),  it  is  aiti- 

(ici.dly  deformed  and   .siiows  traces 

of  |ieiio.titis,  33 
^l;eK•loll^  fioin  tile  ancient  eeme- 

teiiei  of  l'atai;oiiia,  33 
Ill  l.niiiNiana,  3.},  35 


T'ueMo  I?<mito,  229  ;  T,  Ilunpo 
I'avie,  232  :  I'.  Una  Vida,  233  ;  1'. 
\Veie-<ii,  .i}};  1*.  refiasia-Hlanca, 
233  ;  r.  Arroyo,   233  ;   ]'.  Alio,  234 

I'.    Chettro-Ketile,   234;  on  I, as 

.Animas  river,  23(1  ;  on  the  I'ecos 
river,  236 

government  of,    240 

and  clilT-dwelliiii;>,  similarity  of, 

2?5 
i^roupinj;  of  modern,  257 

Qnacalacr),  towns  in  tlu'  jirovince  of, 

tli>eovered  l>y  Cor'e>,  7 
()neiiiada,  ruins  of,  3(11 
(^uel/acoall,  legend  of,  274 
(,»iiinanies,  legend  conceniiiii;  the,  264 
'.''ii|>os,  4^7 
!   •^>iiirit;iia  (( iiiatenial.il,  riii!;-- at,  373 
I  IJuito,  conical   mound,  400  feet   lili;li, 
near,  Si 


ill  Mi-Miuri,  3(1 ;  in  Iowa,  37  :  in    ' 

Nelir:i-k.i,  37  :  in  the  >;ierra  Nevada       Kaces  and    tribes   of   Ameiica  in  the 

rei;ioii,  37 

Ill  C.iliforiiia.  37,  31),  4; 

—  in  Aii/oiia,  37 
— -  in  Wvoiniiii;,  1  i 


sixteenth  eeiitiuy,  3,  7,  13 
Ki  1  i:ki,N(|-,s. 


■mains  found  in  the    shell- 


lie, ip.  51,  52,  53 

a  eaiiiuli.d  ill   Itra.'il.  s3 


a  I  aimdial  in  Florida,  js,  511  ;  in 

New  Mnyland,  51) 
his    reiii.iiiis    in    eaves    in   Cali- 

foiiii.i,      Mexico,      I'ervt,    \'irj;inia, 

Teniu'^sie,  Kentucky.  (■<) 
oil    ilic    (l.iseiinade    Uiver   (Mis. 

soun),  70,  ;   III  Nheiler  Cavi-  (Oliioi, 

71  ;  in  .\sh  Cave  (l)hio),  72 
in  Summit  county  (()liiiii,  72  ;   in 

reniisyKaiii.i,  73 
prohalily       iuliahiled      wijjvvams 

when  caves  Were  not  available,  70 


.\l!i!oTf  (Dr.),  "  I'liinitivc  Industry," 
ii):  "  I'al.eolithic  Iiii]>lements  in  tlie 
1)1  ift  in  the  N'alhy  of  the  l)elaware, 
near  'rreiitoii,  New  Jeisiy,"  H),  20, 

•«77 

ACDsTA  (Jos,  de),  "  Hist,  n.itinal  y 
moral  de  las  \ii.lias,"  271),  303,  310, 
3-,^-  3^".  4.'?S 

■  "Conipcndio  hist,    del   descii- 

hrimiento  y  mlonisacuin  <h;  l.i 
Nuexa  (iranada,"  451),  460 

.\I).\IU,  "  Hist  of  the  .\inerican  Indi- 
ans," ii)o,  513 

.\|-.I.I  K,  "  Stone  I'lst  near  Hii^lil.iiid, 
Madi-ou  countv  (Illinois),"  41)7 


keletoiis  ill  the  ruins    of  .\ztalan       .\i;  \ssi/.,  "  .A  Journey   111    llra/il,"  iS, 


(Wiseoiisini,  1^3 

■  skeletons  in   inomuls   at    Sandy- 

\\  oixls  setlleineni  (MisMUiri),  9^ 

a  skull  enclosed   in  pottery,    104, 

"r 

I'rescott,  cannihalisin  in  Mexico,  (it 

I'ueblos,  (li'sciibed,  2<Mi;  Taos,  joi  ; 
Acoin.i,  2oi  ;  c-iufas,  204  ;  ob- 
servation lowers.  21  \ 

ill    Monti/uiii.i   Nillev,  217:  on 

th-  Kio  de  Clully,  2i-> 

-oil  the    I. a    I'l.ita,    222;    ('asa- 

tlrandeof  the  Kio  ( lil.i,  223  ;  Casas- 
•  li  null',  ill  (  liiliualun,  22; 
I'ueblo   lioiiilo   (I'lntado),    22S  ; 


4(i(),   51)1) 
■'.Aliiiiin  .Mexicano,"  22? 
.\l.ii.ui,  "  II  1st.    de  la  < 'omiiania  <Ie 

jesus  en  Nuev.i  Fspafia. "  2*0 
.All.KN,   "  I.a     Ires    .\iicieiiiie    Ailier- 

I'lue,"  3>'i, 
.\l/..\IK    Y     KaMIKI/,      "   I  lesi  ripcion 

de  l.is  .\iitii;ueil.idrs  de  Xochicalco," 

3s2.  353 
.tiiirritiiii  .hitii/U'iiiiiit,    .^4,    S5,    liij, 

130,  Ifi5,  48s,  4.)(i 
Ami;i;iiini>,  ••  Inseripciones   ante  col- 

oinlnaiias  encontradas  en  la  Kepub- 

lica  .Argentina,"  456 
"  Ell  Nueva  Granada  las  inscrip- 


ixniix. 


555 


clones  (^frojjliticas  sc   LMitucntraii  :'i 

lailo  |>a>(),"  4(15 
Ami.uiiino,     "  I. a     Aniitjuc'ilad     ilcl 

Iltiiiil)rc-  I'll  cl   riata,"  3,  5,  (,,  22, 

28,  29,  30,  54,   Uio,  455,  456,  461, 

•»''5.  471.  472.  51';.  5"'' 
ASDKI-.WS    (1>1.),     •'Kipoil,    IValiody 

Mii^tuiu,"  S(),  87,  I  n,  17S 
"  ICvidciiccs  (if  iIr-  Aiitiiiuity  nf 

Man  ill  tlic  I'liiicil  Stair-.,"  -2 

ill  AiiKiiciiii  Xiitiiiiili!,  73 

"  Mxidor.   of    Muiiiul>    III  S.   V., 

Ohio,"  i6|; 

"  rhc  Nativi'  AiiuTiraii-."  107 

Anckanii,   "  l.ollre  siir  lf>  Anti(iuili'> 

do  'riaguanacd,"  3?(}.  yyi,  400,  41)-;, 

4I<) 
"  Ann.  <lcl  Mii.rd  Naiiniial."  27') 
ANtiirciiiNK,  "  Kiv.  (!'  Aiitlir.,"  5(14 
"Aiitliro|).  .Sue.  of  \Va>liiiii;lon,  Pru- 

cec<liii{;s,"  301 
"Arcliiv.  AnuTR-aiia,"  185 
Akias,    "  Aniijjucdaiics    Zapniccas," 

3(iS 
Akisiuii.k.    " 'rrcaii^f    nii    (Iovimii- 

nuiit,"  (in 
AKI.Ki;rv.  "  Cliron.  ill' 1 1   I'r.iv.  ik' S. 

Kraiii.i>ei'  >ic  /,rtcairca>,"  225 
Akki Ai;\(l''atlicii,  "  K\tir|)ai:iiii  dc  la 

Idol.iiria  did  IVru,"  434 
A\  I  Nil  \NO,  "  Slim.,"  527 

liAciir.l  11,  "  1  )iilii)iiairo  des  Sciein'cs 

I11omU'~  ll   liiilill(|lU,"  ("I 

Hai.|i\vi\.   "  .\iuiiiii   .America,"  340. 

UaNi  Kill  1,  "  N.iiivf  Kari.>,"?,  11,12, 
37.  39,  511.  HI.  (14,  8.',  8;, 93.  101,  10(1, 
137,    142,    146,    151).   1(111.   170,  180, 

181,    22^,    224,    227,    243,    2(il,  2f>2, 

2(14,  2()fi,  272,  273,  274,  27(1.  27S, 
2S3,  284,  2S5,  2S7,  294,  21)9,  3116, 
313,    318,    3I9,    322,    330,    333.  335. 

337.   3?".   .3''3.  37''.  37"^.  5"-  ?-^ 
UaMikui-.R  (A.  I'.l.   "  Ki'|iiiri   on  till' 

Ruins   of   the  I'ludili)  of  I'lH^,  I27, 

204,  23(1,  23'>.  2311.  241,  24'*. 
' '  On  1  lu'  S|R'ci.i I  ( »ii;aiii/:ilion  and 

Mode  of  Coviinini-iii  of  llie  Aiicicni 

Mcxiiaii'-,"  30(1 

••  Arch,  ili-t.  of  Aiiiorita,"  351  ^ 

'•Ucpnii,    IValiody    Mii'-eum," 

2"<5.  3i'9.  3'".  3'3.  3''' 

"  Kop.,  Am.  As-oc.."  497 

ItAKiiKR,  "  Coni;.  do  Aiiuiitjiii4c>," 

21111 
1!  \KII  ,  "  I.a  Mixiqiif."  ^-' 
liAKKWDl.   "  Siuilir-  Kcp  ,"  !>'• 
UakIIKIT.    "  I'l'r-.'nal    Nair:-.;ivo    of 


Kxploraiioiw  in   Texas,  New  Mix- 
ico,    California,    Sonora,    and    Chi- 
Ini.diiia,"  7S,  223,  225,  247 
,    Hastian,     "  Zcit-ehrif"t    der    Ciesell- 
schaft  fiir  Kidkiinde,"  4(1; 

liii^Ki  u,  ••On  the  .Migration,  of  the 
N.diua>,"  27! 

liKKUEKiiV,  ••  IliM.dc  la  \,ivigalion," 

I       9 

]   liKRiiinfii,   '•  I'hil.  .\cad.   Nat.  .Sii." 
I    r.KKTII.I.ii.N  (I.)     Xatiin,  44(1 
llKRiKANH  and  .Macki.m  I.V,  ••Cini- 

cal  mouniK  in  (jeorgia,"  106 
•'  Tiavei-.    in    North    .\nierica," 

lof. 
llKKruANi),  '•  liull  .Sot.  Anth.."  494 
ItKSsKi.s  (Dr.),    •'The    Unman    Ke- 

mains    fi>iiiid    anionj;   the    Ancient 

Kiiins  of  ^.  W.  Colorado  and  New 

Mexico,"  49S 

"Cc)iii;ri>des  Aiiiericani.iles,"49g 

Itimil,    ••.\ncient  Tottery,"  134,  443 
"  I'liid-^haped    nioiiiiiU     in     I'litnain 

county,  Georgia,"  123 
lii.vKi.    ((."arterl,    "Journal     of    the 

Anth.  Soc.  of  London,"  494 
ItiAKi'.  (I.),  '•  Note,  on   a  Collection 

fioiii  the  .\ncienl  Ctineleiy   of  the 

r.ay  of  Chacota,  430,   ;i'4,  505 
I!ii|  I.Af Kf  (W.I,   ".Antiquarian,  Kth- 

noloyical,  and  other  Ke>carche.>  in 

New  liranada,  licuador,  I'eru,  and 

Chili,"  38S,  421,  423,  4.30,  433.  435. 

443,  447.  4-3.  455.  4r9 
•'  Menioir.    of     the     .Anlliro])o- 

lojjical  .Society  of  London.  '  379 
ItiiRiULR,    "  r.ull.  Soc.   Anth.,"  46S, 

sod.  51(1 
HiillKlM.  "  Ideade  una  iiucva  hist. 

j;tiieral  de  la   .\mcrica    Septenlrio- 

nal,"  2S-: 
HoYl.i:,  "A   Hide   Acio>,  the  I'onti- 

nent,"  83,  97 
liRKIiKlK  (Father  Jean  del.  "  \  oyai;e 

dans  la  iinuvelle  V  ranee  occiJeiilal." 

('2  .   . 

ltRi;rKENKiiii;K,    "Views   of    Louisi- 
ana," so,  117 
Mkimon,    ••  .\ole>  on    the  I'loridian 
I'eniiisula,"  48 

"  The     Myths     of     lli"     New 

World,"  2.S0 
IlKorx,  '•  Hull.  Soc.  Anth..    3.  494 

"  Ke\.  d'Aiith.."  ?I'>.  M" 

I'.Kt  111    (Or. I.   Cindiiiiiifi  /.iihtt  and 

('■'"''  •  ^''"^  ,11 

liKY,  •■  llie-d  Voy.  de  J.  ^tailuis   He- 

vOU-."  (il 


/ 


tit^tmi 


530 


/•A7-.-///.s7()A7('  .I.U/:A/c:i. 


1)KY,  In  "  Collcctioni's  |iL'rij;rinatio- 
lumi  in  Induini  Occiileiiialcm,  "  (>i 

"  Voyage    do  Juaunc!)    Lcrus  de 

l',iirj;uiuliis,"  ^i 

"  liiillctin    lUitLilo    Sue.    Nat.    HisI.. 

I>77."  177 
"Hull.  Soc.    Aiith.,"  432.    4(17,  .\-i\ 

47?.  477. 
lU'KiiiiA,  "  Cii'di^r.ilica  ilcsi:ii]ici()H  ilc 
la   (larie    M'jiii'niiionn.ilf  liil    I'olo 
Ailico    (Ic    la    AnK'iica,"  31K1,    3(13, 

364,  3*>^' 
"liuii.il  >'i>uiiiK  in  ( )lii()."  . /'//.  .In/., 

I II 

r>l  KKAUTlJ.).  ".\ufcntlial  unil  Kciscn 

in  .Mi\i(i),"  3'>i 
I'.l'liMKIvnk,  "  (■iinj;iisir.\nlhr(ipiilii- 

^\c  cl  d'.Vrcliculoj;!!.'  jiiclustiiiicnic- ." 

474 
IUrtcin  (R.),  "  Highlands  of  r.ra/ii," 

4(i() 
i'.i'sK.  "  r.uU.  Soc.  Antli.,"  4'i4 

Carr  (l.ucionl,  "  Uiconi  l'.x]ilora- 
tions  of  Mounds  ni.'ar  1  Javcnpuit, 
Iowa,"  4SS,  41)0,  4(ji 

"  C)l)si.Mvaluin>    im     the    Crani.i 

from  the  StouL-  (iravc^  of  ■^l•nnL•^- 
sec,"  l"S,  50-! 

''  KciL,  Am.  Assoc,"  4"S. 

"  Mounds    of     llic     Mississi])|ii 

Valk'V,"  131,  132 

"Carta,  M'mmda  lie  rtlacion  ap.  l.i>- 
ri'ii/ann,"  7 

t'AS'lAS:KliA.  "  \'oy.  ilo  I'ilMiIa,"  2(>S. 

CasiaSip  III'.  I  A  Ci)«A  (Ci.l,  "  Meino- 
ria  del  I  )csiul>ri!niento  (luc — lii/.o 
en  el  Nuevu  Me.xico,"  237 

Cati.IN,  "  illustrations  of  the  Man- 
ners, Customs  and  Coinlitionsof  llie 
Xortli  .Xnierican  Indians."  ()S,  190, 

5>  I 
ClIANlKI,  "  Revued'AMtliroii.,  iSSi," 

l(ii) 
ClIARNAY,    "<'ite-    et   Kuines    Amer- 

ieaines,"   300,   321,    334,  335,    337, 

33*^.  341.  34<),  5»<J 
"  liuU.   Soe.    (icoijr.,"  322,  324, 

35f'.  ?3'i 
"  KevuL"    d'lMliuo^'ra]ihie,"    347, 

34"^ 
ClIlI.Dl.  (K.   I,cc),  C(>r;v.r/,';/,/,v//,  23<) 
"  Ciirtniiea  de  la  Orden  dc    N.  1',  S.    ' 

.\ut;.,"  302 
Cliuunilll.,  "  Coll.  of  \oyai;es,"  2S5 
Cl.AVK.KKo,   "Hist.   .Vntii-u.-i  lie   Mc- 

jico,"  164 
"  Storia  Anlieadel  Mcssici,"  225,   ' 


2(il,   27(1,   2S2,   285,   287,   28S,  3(X), 
301,   302.   307,   308,   349.   350,  363, 

37S.  ?<'7 
Ci.AVI(;i;k(),  "Storia  del  lat'alifornia," 

7S 
(■(iCKiii  UN,  "\  Journey  Overland  from 

the  (lulf  of   Honduras  to  the  Cireat 

South  Sea,"  13S 
Cociil.l  i;i)i>,  "Hist  de  ^■ucatan,"  2f)(j, 

27".  34').  S'^f> 

(■(iNANT,  "  I'ootiiriiits  of  Vanished 
K.iees."  fi<),  87,  iKi,  117,  120,  I27, 
131),  13?.  139,  I4<|,  I^I,  22S,  484, 
4*^8,    515,    517 

ConL;ress  Aieh.  tie  Kazan,  <io 

Colli;,  lies  Am.,  4.'i> 

Coniriliulion>  to  North  .\merican  Eth- 
nology, 130,  522 

CiiDK,  "  Voyage  totlie  I'aeilic  ( )cean," 

134 
CoKDKI.IfK  (I'.Thevet),  "I.essin^ular- 

iles  de  la  France  Aiitarctiiiue  autre- 

nient  noinniee  Aineric|ue,"  s2I 
Cm;  I'l- Kl. At ,    "  \"oy.  aiiN    Iiides  C)cci- 

deiltales,"  Idd 
CiiK  I  Ks,  "  Cartas  y  Uelaeiones  al  Km- 

perador  Carlos  \^,"  261J,    270,    238, 

30?,  301).  3jS 
Ci)\,  a   remark.ilile  aiuienl   ^'oiie  fort 

in  Claike  eomily  (( )hiol,  i)i 
Cki  VAix,  "Coiigi.  I'reli.  de  I'aii-,"63 
Cl  siiiNi;  (Kraiikl,  Ci'iitioy  .y<!^>iziiu\ 

23' » 

Darwin,  "  Wiya^eof  the  r>eaple,"43r) 

1)'.\m;iiiira  (I'eter  Maityri,  "  1  >e 
KeliUs  Oeeanieis  et  Orlie  Novo," 
62,    1(14,  267.   2(.s,  271,  361,  379 

Uai.1.  (\V.  I!  ),  remains  of  later  pre- 
hi'-toiie  man  from  the  cives  of  the 
Callierina  Archipelago,  .Vlaska  Ter- 
ritory, ()(i,  50S 

1)1-:  llDiRiiofRC  (lirasseui),  "  Hist, 
lies  Nations  Civili/ees  du  Mexiijue 
et  lie  I'.Vmerique  Centiale,"  82,  93, 
261,  263,  2f)9,  2S3,  284,  2S(),  288, 
3u(),  3112,  335,  33(>.  3W),  381,  508, 
530 

• "  Keelierclies   sur   les    mines  de 

Palenipie  avec  les  dessins  de  Wal- 
deck,"  1 1,  318,  330 

"  \'oy.  .sur  risthme  de  'I'ehuan- 

tepec,"  2?! 

Dkiiri.  1,  "  \oy.  pill,  et  hist,  an  Hrc^l 
ilepuis  isit)  ju-ipren  1S31,"  4()i) 

I )i;  Castklnai-  (!•'.),  "  Kxp.  dans  les 
parties  centrales  de  rAuicriiiue  du 
Sud,"466 


1 


^'-- 


/XDi-:x. 


557 


Bk  Cuakkncv,  "  Ksai  dc  .liVhifTie- 

niciit    tl'iiiie    iiiscri|iiiiiii     iialciicniL'. 

cnnc,"  379 
~      "  Kt'cluiilics     sur     lo     C"()(icx 

'Proano,"  379 
D'lucirrAl,,  "  Ktiidcs  .sur  Ic-;  origincs 

ItomldliicHU--,"  527 
I)K  l-".si'Ak/.A,  ••  IiifiiruiL' |)rc-fiilaili)al 

(i(il>ii'rii(),"  3()i 
1)K  KossKV    Niatli.),  ••  I.e   .XK-xiciuo  " 

385 
Dk    \\\^i  (W.I,  "Aid.,    of  the   Mis- 

sissippi  Valloy,"  129,  137 

Am.  A.ss.  Trails. 

Dr.  I.l-.DN  (Cii'(,-,n),  "  Trimera  partt-  do 

la  iluoiiiia  del  I'crii,"  451 
1)1.  I.omwi'kikk,  "  .Nuii.c  di-s  .Momi- 

luciits    cxpcistV-   dan^   la   S.dlo    dcs 

Anlii|uilcs  Alllcricailu■^,  '  J45 
\)v.\.  Uii)  (A),    "  DcsiiiiiLidii  dil  icr- 

rciio  y  piiMacioii  aiilij^ua,"  31S,  324 
Dk  Makths,    "liciiiaijL'  ziir  Kthno- 

j;ra|)lrie  uiid  S[)iai  iRiibindo  Anicr- 

ikas  /uiual  I'lasilims,"  46(1 
Dkm.MIN.    "Cuido    raii.UiMir    do    fai- 
ences oil  de  |iiiui  laiiies,"44  ; 
Dk  NiawiKi)  (I'li.ice  Max),  "  Rcise  I 

iiach  lliesilien,"  4''iO  I 

D|-.\ls  (!■■.),  "I.elin-ii    UiiiviTS  I'il- 

l(>resi|ue,"  4(ifi,  469 
Dk       (JlAIKKKAd'  nnl        HaMV, 

"Crania  Miluiici,"    j-n,  4SC),  4r)(), 

500,  501 
Dk   (JlAIRKKACK  .,    <  nii^'.    Alllll.     dc 

.Miisimi,  4'") 
Dk  Uivkko  ki- 'rMiirm  d:.),  "  .\ii- 

liijiiedades  I'eniniias,"  3SS,  _y*\  430, 

5<)2  I 

— — "I>ie     Ki'i'hiia    .siprailn',"    3.SS,   ] 

3'.)'> 
Dk  KosnY  {{..),  "  Kssai  do  dtiliilTr.'- 

iiieiit    de    I'ccrilure    liii  ralii]iio    do 

r.ViiK'riiiiie  Ci'iitrak,"  .71) 
Di.   Sakiiijks   iCtimtc),  in   /Vr.   .iV.f 

/Kiix  MoiiJt-s,  411,  4 1') 
De.stTi|)iiiiii  (if  a'llcfumifd  fr:iL;iiu'Miary 

skull   in  an  ancicnl  (jiiany  cue  at 

Jerusalem,  514 
DkSt.   IIiI.AIKK  (.\.1    "Voyai^e  dans 

les  pnivincesde  Kin  de  Janeiro  el  di 

Minas  ( ierat  s,"  4('(i 
Dksjakdins  (IC.K  "  1.1'  IVrnu  avant  la 

C.'iiiKjuele  l^spa^nole,"  3-S,  31)2,400, 

404,  41.),   424,' 43?.  -t."'.  4.!^  44.'. 

.|6o,   527 
Dk  .SolV.A  (!'oni|ieu).  "  ('oin|ieiidio  de 

(ieograpliii    j^eral    e     i'sl>ecial     '■lo 

Jiiazd,"  4(i() 


I     1)K    V.AR.Miy.KN-    (F.),    ..JliM.    ycral 

<l()  lirasil,"  466,  4C7 

I)K     Vll.l.A(;i,-IIKKKK     V     SOKIMAVOR 

(Jiian),  "Ili,t.  de  la  Conqui.sta  <le 
la  I'rovinee  ile  el  Il/a,"  379 
j   DiA/,  (linnnli,   "Hist.  Vudadeia  de 
la  Conc)ui.s:a  <lc  la  Nueva  Ivsi.afia  " 
309.  35^  35') 

"  Kelaiione  fnlla  pir  un  gentil'- 

Inn. mo  del  Sij;n..r  I''.    (•orte>e."  358 

DoMiN,;!  I  /  and  I'SCAI.antk,  "  Diario 

y  Derrotero  Saiila  Ke  a  .Monterey" 

177''.  25^' 

lJt)KlMi;NV,  "  l.'ilonime  Anierieain," 

3SS,  390,  467 

Dil'Aix  H'apiain),  "  Relation  des  trois 

ex|)eiliiioii-,  ordonneesen  l805-'6-'7. 

t  pour  la  redierelie  des  anti.piites  du 

pays  nnianinieni  de  celks  de  .Miila 

el  de  I'alen.pic,"  318 

Du    i'K.vr/,    "  Mist,    of    I.<,uiMana," 

526 
In-KAN  (Failur),  "  Hist.   Aiii.    de  la 
.Nueva  I'ispana,"  351 

"  Hist,  de  las  India-,  de  la  Nueva 

lispafia,"  2(jl,  297,  30S,  309.  310 

"  I'!l  Conipii^tador  .Vnornino,"  307 

1!mokv,  "  .Notes  of  a  Military  Kecon- 
noi>saiice  from  Fort  l.eavemvortli  in 
Kall^as  to  San  ])ie^o  in  (.'alifornia," 
237 

I'liisayo  dj  un  c  ludio  ^oinparaiivo 
eiilre  la  I'yratnide  Egyplias  y  Mexi- 
eanas,"  14 

Ksct;iiKUo,  "  Noticias  del  Kstado  de 
(!lnhualnia,"  225 

Ksl'INosA  (Caliajall,  "  Hist,   de   .Mex- 

ieo,"  30 1 
KvKKSfKl,  "  .Vneienl  I'otlery  ..f  .Mis- 
souri," 135 

"Contributions   to  the  Arciix- 

ii|.ij,'y  of  .Missouri,"  140 

FaKiji'IIARSOV  (Dr.),  "Observations 
on  the  Crania  from  some  Stone 
(oaves  in  Tennessee,"  4S7 

__  "  Pioe.  Am.  Assoc.,"  507,  soS 

"Report,  I'ealioily  .Museum."  4S7 

I'KiU'Klx,  "  l.e^  Kuiues  de  la  'Juem- 
ado,"  3()I 

Fis.  lll.i;  (II.),  "Sur  I'ori-ine  de> 
picnes  ililes  d'Ama/one  et  sur  ee 
pcuple  fal)uleux,"473 

Fir/Kov,  "Voyai;e  i^f  the  Advi-nture 
and  the  lieajjlc,"  63 

Flint  (Dr.),  "  Report,  reabo.ly  Muse- 
um." 


55'^ 


/'A/:-///.s  roh'/c  A  M/:J<n  .1. 


FoNTAlNF,    "How    ilu'    Wiirlil    was       (ioct'KT,    "  Mi'iiioirc    tmifliant  1'  I'la- 


I'ci'plftl,"  'Ji'4 
l''oK(K,  "  A  i|iailo  K.uc  apijaiuii.iicnt 

K's  Momiil  liuililiTs,"  <j.',  idj,  ii)5 

Colli;,  ili-s  Am.,  J31) 

Fi)SIi:k,  "  1  )i'sciii'iiiiii  of  S.\iiiiili's  i)f 

\iuieiit  ("lolli  from   llii-  iinuiiitN  of 

Oliio,"  177 


l)li>emcnt  il"  iiir-  missitm  tliiiticniif 
il.uw  If  tioi.sicinc  momli-,  autiL-mcnt 
apiu'li'  l.i   I'lric  Aiisiralc,"  i.vi 
(iiiMAKX.  "  Ili^i.  lie    .Mexico,  "    270, 
J76.  J77,    27(j,  301.    305,  312.    35s, 

"  Hist.  i^on.  lie    l.is  Iiiili.is,"  jijS 


.  "  I'lehistoiif    Races  t)f  the  U.  S,  (iossi,  "  Kssai    sur   Us    tlefoimatiniis 

<>r  .\uierica,"   35,    3(1.   Kd,  104,  12(1,  aililicielle>  till  crane,"  501,  50^,  504 

2S4,  4S1),  481  I        514 

"  Mi>^issiiiiii  Valley,"  Si  '   (  Ikkknm  \i  (.11,  i()3 

"  ke|Hiii,  Am.  .\^Mie.,"4S2  (■iKij.\i.\  \  (Juan  ile),  "Cronica   ile  la 

FuslK.K     ami    WlIirMV,    ■•  Kep.    nn  Dnlen  cU-  N.  I'.  S.  .\\ii;u>tin,"  •J7i> 

the  licnl,  (if  the  l..\kr  Superior  Re-       dUcovery   (jf  the   cr()^s  in  Viica- 

L;iiin,"   17s  tan  temples,  17() 

1' Kli  t)i:KiCKSi  Mil,  (liaron  viiiii,  "  l.es  ( ;ti'.v.M<A,   "Hist,    del    l'aia_i;uay,  en 

.Mommienls  lilt  Vucataii,"  33?  cul.  Hist.  Aii;eiitina,"  527 
•' Nonv.   Annales  lies   N'oya^es,"  Cirm.KK,       "  Naturf<)r>ehniij;       uinl 


341 

l'Kii:iii:t.,    "Seven    Years'    'l"r;,vtl    in 
(cnlr.il  .Vmeriea,"  .S3 

c;.\i.iM)ii.    ".\n).  .\nt.    Soi .  '{"rans.," 

331  >.  3.'- 
(j.\1,I.Ai;n    •' Am.  .\nt.  >uc.    I'lan-.," 

"  NiHiv.  Ann.  iles   \  oy.i;4es,"  7(1 

"Tian^.  .\ni.  luhn.  Sue.,"  (> 

(lAKi  II  A^'^i  111.  t.A  Vir.A,   "  l.osCom- 


Hil» 

IIahki.      (Iir.),      "  Inve>tit;atii)ns     in 
Central   .iiul    Sivulh    America,"    84, 

37 1 

"  Sniiih^.inian  ( 'cin!ril)iili'ins,"8i, 

'4''.   'r- 
II  \Ki.t  VI .  "  V.>yay<  s,"  231) 
llAl.lil.MAN,    "  .\     Rock     Retreat     in 

I'enn  ylvaiiia,"  73 
letter   nf,  22 


eiit.iriii^  lealesipie  tratan  del  origen  Hamy,  "  linll.  Sue.  .\nth.,"  333,   41)5 

lie  I'lN    liuas,  reycs  ipie   fueron  del  Hakdy,  "  Indian  Mimaehisiii,"  342 

I'eru."  1 1:4.  104,  3SS,  3()5,  411'),  437,  "  Repml,  I'e.ilio.ly  Museum,"  51; 

439  IIarkiskn  (( len.),  "  Trans.  I  li-t.  .Soe. 

"  lli-l.    de    l.i     Complete    de    la  of  (  lliio,"  I  .S5 

Floride,  iiu  Kelatmndeee  i|uis'e~l  H\Kir,    "  Arrhives    of    tin-   National 


passe  an  \  oyaj;e  de  I'erdinand  ile 
Soto  pmir  la  Con'[nile  de  le  l'.iv>," 
IS<) 

"  Hist,      lies      Incas,    rois      de 

I'eiou,"  388,  412,  515 

"  History  of   I'lorida,"  So 

(iAt'DRV,    "l.es     I'.nchainements    du 

Monde  Animal,"  K) 
(if.KVAls,   in  youniii/ ill-  /.I'oloi^ic,  28 
(■ti.t.MAN  (H.),  "  .\dd.  I'actsConcein- 
\v\^  .Aiiilieial  Perforation  of  the  Cra- 
nium in  Ancient    -Mounds  in  .Mich- 
igan," ?0() 

"  Rep.,  Am.  Assoc,"  41)2,  493 


Museiini  of  Rio  de  l.iiuiro,"  .(117 
-"(iiolo^y    and  I'liysieal  ( ieojjra- 

phy  of  IJra/d,"  4(i() 

"Rep.,    I'eahodv   Mus.,"  56,  472 

Hay.sks,    (H.    \V.),  ■  "  Thr   .\rt;illiie 

hnplements    found    in    llie    (ii.ivels 

of  Delawaie  River,"  21 
Hki.i.ik,  "  Keisen   in   Mexiko,"  351 
III  i.i.WAi.i)  (K.   voni,  "  .\  ipielle   r.ice 

ajipartenaient  des  Mound  IJuilders," 

197^ 

Con^^rcs  des   Americanistes,    180 

"  The    American     Mij^rations," 


272,  2S4 
"Report,     I'cabody     Museum,"       Hiamiekson  (().),    "An    Account  of 

tin;     Hriiish    Settlement     of    Hon- 
duras," 83 

Hlnnki'IN  (I'.),  "Description  de  la 
l.oiiisiane,"  ()2 

Hf.nsiiaw  (II.  W.l,  "A  Annual  Rej). 
liureau  of  Lthnology,  Wash., 
18S4,  162 


136 

—  "  The  Ancient  Men  of  the  (Ireat 
Lakes,"  4S5 

—  "  .\ncieiit  Work.s  of  Isle  Royal," 

—  "  Hxplorations   in  the  vicinity  of 
Aledo,  I'lorida,"  ill 


ixn/:\. 


559- 


IIkkrkka,  "  Hi^t.  C.cn.  d.-  I(,s 
llothip-,  (li-  lo^  C',i>tillai'ii)s  oil  lav 
Islas  y  'licriM  l-'irmc  (Kl  Mar 
Oceano,"  I7(),  2(1(1,  263,  2(h),  270, 
;?(>'.•,  303.  io(j,  3()3.  364,  ,S(),  43s' 
5'>7 

l!nv\V(Mii>,  "Ia|.|.  of  iliL- .M)ori^;iiial 
Kcniaiiis  in  'I\iiir's>ci',"  17(1 

• "  Nalural    ami    Aliorijjiiial    Ili>,- 

loiy  of  'I'l'iincNscf,"  15() 

lIli'lDCKAiKS,    "Dc   AltU,  A(iiiis,  ti 

I.Dli^,"    ?I3 

II<»l-l-M\N  (Dr.),  "  I'.iliii.  ()li>,  <iii  In- 
iliaii>  liilialiitiiiL;  Nrv.nla,  I'.ilifoniia, 
.iiul  Aii/'iiia,"  227.  244,  2:4 

— • —  "  Ki.])iiri  (111  tlir C  li.un ('laniiiin," 

4'>7 
FIiii.Mi:s,     "Kiii'iii    (111    the   Aiiticnt 

Kuiii>  (if  S.  \V.  ('(iliira.lo,"  2(12,  2(jS, 

210,  215,  222.  24?    247,  24S 
lIiMUiMJU.  "  Am.  Ant.,"  437 
llrMiKiiui .  "  I!'.>ai    (kiI.  >iir  li-  rev. 

dc  1,1  NiuivlIIc  l'N|iaj;nc,"  350 
"  IVixiiuil    TravcK  1(1  tin;   Iviiiii- 

iidttial  Ucj^idiis  of  .\im.'ii(.a,"  114 

"  .Ucs(.•aR■llc^  i(im  (.'iiiiiij^  the   lii- 

stilution-i  aii'l  MdiuiMK'ntN  ( f  ilic 
Aiicit'iil  Inlialiil.uit-.  (il  Alucriia," 
2-4 

"  \'uc-    do    Coiililli'K.'-  ft    Mull. 

lies  lVn|iU'>  iii(li};i  in'v  dc  I'  .\iiiti- 
\^\\\^.\"  350,  352,  3.1S,  4:11 

"  \'i(.'ws  of   the  ('ordilKia>,"  2(14 

"\(iy.iL;u  aiix    iii;iiiiiv    (.i]iiiiiin'- 

tial(.'»,"  lie,   I5i» 

IIlKIIIN^'iN.    "   1  \Vi   \\.U>  ill    IVllI," 

S^-"*.  .VI.! 
1  llXI.KY,  "  Maii'>   riaic   ill   \atuiT," 

3? 

"  Noj^rai'liia   lisi>  1   y    |>ii!iiiiM   dc  lo> 

M.vtados  UnidiK  dc  ruldidiia,"  4j() 

Ixii  il.xocillii   "  lli>l.  Cliiilutiieca," 

261,    272,   271),    2S1,    2S2,    2S3,    235, 

2ijo,  310 

•■  kidaridncs,"     21.4,    272,    27(1, 

277,  2(^1,  303,  30?,  31 'O.  U  = 

Jackson,    "  Knins  of    S.    \V.   Colo- 

railo,"  203,  2(1(1,  217.  21.1,  229,  23? 

"Cifd.    Ki'i'.  t"  l'   ^'   ^""'1. ' 

17'^ 
JakI'KAY,  in  .\'.;//"<'.  1^7 

••  I,a  Tom  (111   Monde,"  4?'> 

"  \'ovai;i'    a   l-i     Nouvfllc    <iri'- 

nadi-,"  459,  )(ii 
Jakavik.i)     (JiMii\      "  Aji'.     \  I  . 

'ri'in.iiix  C'oni|i.iii'-.  '  '-!7 


J'lNis,  "  Aniiqiiitifs  of  ilic  .SmtlR-iu 
Indian^  and  Ccorjjia  Trilics."   48 
I  (JO,  254 

"  lAploratiiins  of  the  Ali(irij;iiial 

Keniain>   of   'reniRssee,"  .ji,    114, 

'■5.4^5.  49^'.  5"7.  i'l, 

"  Simtlis.   Coiitiili.,"    i;.),    u,'^ 

IdS.   I'llp,  41)0 

J(i.MAKIi,       ••  Hull.       Soc.      Geo^;.       de 

I 'ail',"  320 
JiAKUdS   (|)(iminL;(i).    "  A  ,siati~tiial 

ami  '.  uniinciciai  History  of  (iuale- 

inal.i,  '  330 
"Ili>i.     of     the      Kii'.L^Idin     of 

(Jiiatein.ila,"  2(ili 

Ki.Nc.Miiimni.ii    ".\iit.   of    .Mixuci," 

2f)2,  2(14,   272,    276,    28 1,    2S2,    285, 
2S7,  2SS.  291,    29S,    303,    307,    313, 

3'!'.  350 
KnaI'I',  ".Vndent  Milling;  0I1  I.aki^-  Su- 

|ieiioi,"  I7() 
Ko.iiKi;,  "  \(>yai;e  (Ian-,  la  panic  scp- 

teiilrionale   uii    lircsil   dcpuis    isix; 

jiM|u'eii  I  Si;." 

l.Ai.i;i;iiA  and   rKixorin,  "  Auliivo-; 

do  MiiMd  N.icional,''  4(1(1,  41.' 
"  (."oiuriiiuijde-i    no    ("studo    aii- 

llini|i  iloj^iiD  (la-.  Kaiyas  imligiiia-  do 

\U.\/\\,"  23,  4(6 
I  ANHA  (lii>i;iip  of   Merida),     "  Kcl.i- 

cioii  dc  las  ('o>aN  dc  N'ucalaii,"  21(1, 

341.  341),  37S.  513,  52(1,  527 
I.,>.rii\\i,  "The  .\iitii|iiiiiev  of  WiM- 

coi  .111,"  .M,  (,i,  1 14,  12(1,  129 

I. liter  to  l)r.  Fosiei,  517 

"  .simthMiiiian  C'oiilnli.."  S7 

l.AKKlNllM.),"  Kep.,  I'laho  .\  Mnv.," 

liS 
l.AS  L'asas,    "  Iire\i>viiiia  Uel.ui<iii," 

309 
"  Hist.  Apol.  dela^  IndiasOcti- 

denlales,"  2i)?,  35^.  37*.  4-7 
l,i.(o.sri;,   "Cremation  .\iiiont;>t  the 

Ndilli  Ainericnn  Indi.iii^,"  120 
I.KiliV    (I.),    "  Conlnlmtioiis   to    the 

i:.\tincl    Vcrtelirate    l'',uina   of    the 

We.'tein  Territories,"  534 
"The       lAliiKt       Manim.ilian 

l''aiiiia   of    Uakola  and    .\e!.M..Iva, 

5.U 
1,1:  l'i.(iNi;i;()N  (Dr.i,  i.itier  of,  344 
l.lAVIS  and  I'l  \KK,   '■  Tr.ivel-,  I;'  the 

Sonne  of  the  .Mi^soiiii  Kivei."  S5 
"  l.iltorina  IViiiviana,"  4!2 
|.,ii.|  /  (V.  v.),  "  Les  Kaic  AryL.Mne.s 

(111  I'enni,"  3SS 


1' 


i 


560 


Ph'ii-jnsj\  'AVc  ■  .  /  .1//,  A7(  :i . 


l.DWKNSTKRN,   "   Mexico,"  353 

l.l'liiiiKK  "  L'lloiiiiin'  rR'li.,"35 

"  l'ii'lii>lorii.'  Tiiiif^,"  l^n 

l.YH  I  ,  "  Anlii|uity  of  Man."  34.  3? 
'•  Sfion.l    X'JMt    to   AmiMiia    ii\ 


MoKC.AN  (I..  II.),  "On  till-  Kiiinsof 
n  Stone  I'ui'blo  on  tlir  .\niniii-. 
Kivrr  in  New  Mexico,"  23(1 

"  Uep.,  rea!)0(ly  Mils.,"  2(jj 


i^Jl 


Morion,  "  I'rania  Americana  ;  or,  .\ 
I'onip.iralive  \'ie\v  of  llu-  Skulls  of 
\.irioii>  .Miorij^inal  Nations  of 
N'orlh  aixl  South  Aineriia,"  4S8, 
4()0,  500,  502,  503,  50^ 
MAi;\t.ii.\iS  (l>r.  Toiito  iK)  "  < )  Sel-  Mofui;,  (Dr.)  "  l.e>  Indieiis  de  la 
vatieni  "  ()  I'lovm.  e  cle  Mattu  Ciro.sMi,"  53 


lS4()."  34,   (7 
I. YON,  "  Journal  of  a  'I'mu  in  I'le  l\e- 

|iul)lic  of  .Mixieo,"  3(11 
•'  Smiths,  e'oiitrili.,"  1 1 1 


v.i^cm.     () 
Mai,i'iki',  "  Troe.   I'loston  Soc,  Nat 

lli-t.,"  74 
Mai.kk  (I-,),  XiUiiiv,  3(11) 
Makiov   (St.   Cruiil  "  \'oyaj;e  a 'I'ra- 

vers  I'.Smeriiiue  (lit  siiil  de  I'Dce.m 

rjcilique    a     rOiean     Atlaiitinue," 

4(j(p 
Makkhvm,  "Cu/i-danil  l.iui.i."    V)}, 

4" 


Mil  I  IK  (!'.  \V.  v.),  "  .\niericaniselien 

L'rriiiijionen,"  274 
"  Keisen     in     cKii     \'ereini^;tcn 

Sialcii,  Cinaila,  and  Mexico,"  269, 

3(iS 

Nauau.I  AC,  "  I.es  I'remiers  Iloinmes 
el  les  Temps  l'r<.'hislori(|iu>,"  424, 
4.S3,  510 


4111  -J'^.l.    s<" 

"Narratives    of    tiic    Kites    and  N  \i;i:k  \  (C'aslancda    di-i,    "  Relatioi 

Laws  of  tlie  Inca^,"  437  du  Voy.  de  (  ibol.i,"  237,  243 

"  The    rril)es  of  the  Kmiiire   of  Nkiii.I.,    "  Viaje  piltoresco  y    arcpieo 

.1       I  1,  .  A  I  ,..: 1 1 M..:: ^  "  .,.,. 


h)i;ico  sohre  la  rep.  .Mejicana,"  35; 

NiiK\i\N,     ■' k.\nd)li.-,    in    \'ucataii," 

.Vi?,  }V-  ."'4' 
N>'i  I'  ainUli  idI'on'^  "  Types  <if  Man- 
kind," 3.  ?,  23.  34,  3?,  503 

Oun/ii.  V  I'iKKRA,  ' '  Cieoj^raphia  de 
I. is  l(iiL,'uas  y  t'arta  Ktiinoi;ralica  de 
Mexic.i,"  2(i2.  31  I 

(  »vil-.|pi),  "Natural  llislori.i  de  las 
iiidias,"  I  ■;3 

Oviihu  V  \ai.I)I>.  "Ilist.  (Ion.  J 
Natural  de  la>  Indias,"  26S,  271, 
3r'i.  413,  ?'" 

l'\/-Soi.nAN     (Mateo),     "  (leoj;,     del 

I'eru,"  3sS,  3.JI,  423 
l'ii.T   (Kev.    .-s.   1).),   "The    Military 

.»„..^.,  ..^ v^,     ,  ^^,  .Aicliitccture,"  i)2 

Mill, IN  \,  "  \()calnilerio  ill  leiigua  Ca>- .t  iiirriniii  J  iili,/i(iiil,ui,   i)2,  lOr 

lillana  y  M>  xicaiia,"  314  I'i.kkin^   ((',.    H.i.    ••  .\ncient    Ihirial- 
"  Vocaliiil.ui^  ell  kiiyiia  Casid-  (.iround     in     Swanlon,     Vermont," 

laii.x  y  Mexicana,"  362                                   114,  iii;,  174 
"  Ivclacion     de    la^     I'alnilai     y "Cieneial     Kem.irks    upon     tiie 

Kilos  de  Ids  Injjas,"  530  .Vrch,   of  \crmonl,"   136,250 

Mo.nti:sinos,     "  Meniorias    Anli^uas       i'lcKK  1  r  (.\.   J.l,    "History    of    .M.i- 

hisloriale^  del  Peru,"  38S  li.iuia,"  189 
.Mem.   hi-t.    sur  raucien  IV'mu  "       I'im;i:un,  "  .\nl.  Kesearcho,"  85 

45''  I'iKiiKAiiil  A,  "  Ili^t.  den.  de  la  Con- 

M'lKKNo,  "  I.es  I'aradeios  preli.  lie  l:i  ipiisiadel    Nuev.i    Keynode    (Ira- 

I'.iMl^iinie,"  27,  32,  33,  ;o5  iiada."45i) 

MoRiiAN    (I,.    11.),     "  i.iayue  of    the        I'IMI.M  I  1.  ( I'laiuescol,  "  l.eiiyuas  In- 

Iroiiuoi-,"  193  liigeiias  de  Mexico,"  13 


the  Iiica>,"  31  (o 

MARi.H'Erii;,  "  Voyajjes  et  l)(\ou- 
vertes  du  I'.  Manpiette  <laii>  IWui- 
eriipie  Septentrioii.de,"  254 

Maikki,,  "  lUiU.  Soc.  .\ir.hr.." -27 

Mavkk,  "  Mexico  a^  It  \V.\-,"  3:11 

Ml  K  IK  (Col.  I,  "llaliiN  of  California 
Indians,"  76 

"  M< moires  de  la  Soc.  d'lli>l.etde 
■(KOi;.  du  Hiesil,"  .\-i) 

MknIiikpa  (d.  del,  "Ilist.  l-^ccl.  In- 
diana," 310,  313,  314,  31I) 

Mi:yi;u,  "  Keise  iiiii  die  llrde  ;  111  it- 
raj;e  zur  /nojojjir,"  502 

Mll.Ks.  "Trans,  l-llhn.  Soc.  of  Lon- 
don," 435 

Milu'.iii,'.,.     (,/:<•' //.•(■;•,  1837,  92 

iMol.llAfsl,^'  (111,  "  Taj^cliuch  eiue 
reisc  voui  .Mis-i>si|ipi  n.ich  deiii 
Ix listen  ilcr  Sud  See,"  22fi,  249 


1 


.  u;.k.MM.-^M--* 


I 


J.\J):..\. 


S6i 


PoTTKMW.  I'.),   ■•A.ch.  Remains  in 

S.    L.   Missouri,"  81;,   (>«;,  |^(,    w, 

171  

l'i<i;S(:oiT  (W.    II.),    "Hisi.   ..f   il,e 

C()n(|\:esl  of  I'cru,"()i,  ^SS,  412,^58 
•'  llisi.    of     the    Conquest    of 

Mexico,"  ()i,  2()l,  35S 
I'Ki n  iiARi.,     "  Natural    llisiory    of 

Van,"  6,  284 

i'lm.,  lt(»tiin  Sor.  of   .N'ai.  Hist.," 

?3.1 
rK|!NiKKi;s(I)r.),  "Hull.Soc.  Antli.," 
^  4'M 

I'l  kciiAS,  "  Mis  riljjiinK-s,"  270 
I'UiAAM    (K.   W.)   ••.•\rcii.    Kxpl.    in 

Tenn.,"  51)7 
"  Itiiil.  of  the  Kssi'x  Inst.,"  200 

244 
"  ke|)(irl,  Tealioily  Muscnni,"  74, 

94,    103,  115,   145,    170,  244,   487, 

4<)7.  SO'^ 

KamisIo,   "  Navij;ationi   el    Viajjgi," 

35S 
KatM    (('.),    "  Rcvisla    do     Instiluto 

liisiiiMco,  (;eo;4ra|)iiico,  rtl.noi^raphi- 

co  do  iira/il,"  464 
Kai'.  •■  Arch.  Coll.  V.  S.  N.ii.  Mu..," 

•71 

"  Iiidi.in  I'oltory,"  134,  243 

"  Norlli    .Vnieiican    Slone    Im- 

))lenu'nls  "  ("  Sniilli.  Conl."),  36 
"  Tlic    I'.ilcniiiic    Talilet,"    324, 

37') 
'■  .Sinilli.    Ciinlrilmtions,"     168, 

171,  172 
Kkaii,  "  Kx|ili)ration  of  a  Uock  Shel- 
ter   in     Huston,     Summit    county, 

Ohio,"  73 
"  Kcl.  prinieia  del  I.iccnciado  do  On- 

df^,iido,"  440 
Ki:\isAi.  (A.   dc),  "  Mist,  de  la  I'rov. 

dc  S.  \'iiiciiUe  de  Chyap.i."  266 
Ukmy  and   l!ia;NCllli;v,    •  A  Journey 

10  (ireat  Salt  Lake  Cily,"  137,  249 
"  Keporl,  liureau  of  Kthnology,"  524 
•'  Kcpoit,  I'eahody  Mus.,"  477,  493, 

5111,  512 
Rl  iviis,  "  Arcliivesdes  Sciences  Nat-  • 

urelles,"  514  1 

"  Kihiiol.  Scliriften,"  48S 

RkUSS  and  Sirni;i ,  "  I'lic  Necropolis  | 

of  Ancon  in  I'eni,"  431 
"  Rev.  d'Anth.,"  4'/' 
■•  Rlvi^ta  Mcxicana,"  352 
••  Revue  dcs  (,)ueslion-  Scienlitii)ues,"  | 

??7  ,    .  I 

Reynolds,    "   Abon<;inal  soapstone 


Quarries  in   the  District  of  Colum- 
bia,"  If) I 
R/Vkko,  "  llisi,  dc  Jalapa,  Mexico," 
127 

RoiiiRisoN,  "Congrc.?  <les  American- 
isles,"  i(^(( 

"  I'<'s  Mound  IluiUlers,"  516 

Kfi/.   (Mariano),    the  cstufasOf    the 
pueblos,  203 

Samacjin,  "Hist.  Cen.    <1«  las  Cosa» 

de  Nueva   Ksparta,"   271,  277,  278, 

21)3.    3<>2,    3"S,   312,  315,  355,  358. 

507 
SAl.isiii  Rv,  "  Maya  Arch.,"  344 
'''rile    .Mayas,    the    Sources    of 

Iheir  History,"  344 

"  Troc.  .Am.  .\nti(|.  Soc,"  265 

San   I'Aoi.o  (Dr.    Ralh   <li>,   "  Letter 

Addressed    to    the    Aii-lo-Hra-itian 

Times,"  53 
Sariicks  (Comic  lie),  l<(v.  dcs  /Vw.r 

Moiiiits,  441 
SakiokiI'S,    ".Soc.  Mcx.    Ceog.  Ilole- 

tiii."  354 
Sciir.u/I-.K,     "i:in     IJcsucli    lici    den 

Rumen    von    Ouiriipia     im     Staale 

dualeniala,"  375 
.SciiMlDi,    "Zur   Urgeschichte    Noril 

Amerika,"  479 
SciiMiiu    (Ulrich),  account  of    Men- 

do/a's  cxpedilioii,  8 
SciluiiKl,,     "  Anliipiites     Americaines 

du  Musce  l',ihni;i;raplii(pie  de  Saint 

I'elersbourg,"  444 
"L'n  chap,  ile  I'.Xrch,  Am.  Con- 

t;ie-.  de  l.uxcmliouig,"  371 
ScilociicKAl' f,  ".Archives  of  Aborigi- 
nal Knowledge,"  36,   70,    130,   164, 

165,  iSo,  241 
"  .Ancient  '  iarden-lieds  in  Cirand 

Kivcr  valley  (.Michigan),"  181 
"  I'.thnological    Researches    Re- 
specting the  Red  Men  of  America," 

()2 
Scill'MACHKR  (Paul),  "  Researches  on 

the  Kjokkcnmoddings  of  the  Coast 

of  Oregon  and  in  the  Santa  I'aihara 

Islands  and  .Adjacent  Mainland,"  51 
"  Rep.,  IVabody  Museum,"  137, 

171,  4S>' 
Sciiwi.DK.N,  "  Urgeschiclite,"  61 
Scoviii.K  (Dr.  S.),  Cincinnati  Quar- 

Ici  ly  Joiinuil,  172 
SlIORl,  "  North  Americans  of  Aiitiq- 

iiitv,"  34,  35,  36,  87,  92,  104,  lo(), 

177.  i<)7.   306.   3'7.  335.  344.  347. 

4'^4.  4').' 


< 


T 


f 


^62 


SlciM.i'*  (l)io(loru!.). 

t'liy."  'k) 
Sll.l  IMAn's  ,//;;.  Ji'uni.  ,</  Sii.,  i)2* 

SlMl'v>N  (j.imf^),   "Jnliril.ll   (if    .1    Mill; 

laiy  KoiiiniiaissiiRC   fiom  S.inl.i  1< 
Id  the  Navajo  Couiiliy,"  7S,  204 
"  Ki'|).   Ill  Sff.  (if  Wai,"  2i().  i,M 
Sin;Ri:\VK'<,  "  l\t|uiit  of  an  I'n|iiiii- 
tiiiii  ildwn   llic   /iifii    ami  C'lilniadci 
Rivcr«i,"  33(> 
"Sdc.  Mi'N.  (icojj.  Iliil.,"  3(11 
Soi.iu,    "  l.ci  caiucis  it    lis   |)icrri» 
pravrcs   I'ait   au    inoyi'ii    il^;l•,    Tail 
Kliiiur,    U>    arN  tin    ri'mii   ct    tin 
Mixii|iu',  I'art  |-!i;y|ilii'ii,  Ics  arts  in- 
(lii^liifls,  lies  iiiu^i'cs  ilu  'rrocadcio, 

375 
St)sA  (lla>.par  l"nstni^<>ilo).  "  Mem.  ikl 

|)cMiiliiiiiiii.ni()     till      Kcinii      lU' 

1,11111,"  142 
SdfKY  (I  ),   "  Int.  a  r  llisi.  ill's  I'lo- 

tisiis  lif  lla-tktl,"  517 
SoiiiiAiL,  "  Ki'iiMii  ()rii;ii)  uf  Man," 

34.  35.  '''')■  "»2 
S<Oi  IH(.  "  r.iii,  Im  iilciil>  iif  'I'lavil 
aiul  I''.\|  liiralimi  in  llie  I. ami  i<f  llu' 
IiKMs,"  3S7,  3>'S,  3i)3.  "<)li,  3')').  4"". 
40 J,  407,  41W,  411,  41(1,  4l.>.  422, 
4.'!;,  4?;,    ?('!,    51)2,5113,   50(),    523, 

527 
Hiioltil  liy  Null  ami  (iliililoii,  5 

"  Smlilisiiiiiaii      (.'iiiitrili.       I'l 

Kn(iwk'tlj;c,"  131 

"  Nicaia(;ii.\,"  513 

SyUii.K  and  1>avis,  "  Ancifnt  Mmni- 
ineiiis  (if  ilio  Mi>sis^i|i|ii  Valk-y," 
81.  I(X>,  104,  107,  iij,  I  ;7,  ihs, 
iMi,  1S5,  !(>(),  4S() 

SlKl'liKSS,  "  liuidints  (if  Travel  in 
Viualan,"  82,  151J,  265,  318,  311), 
324.  33".  332.  338.  340.  341.  343. 
344.  347.  349 

SlKl'llK.NS  and  <'AIIIEI!\V()0|i.  "Iiui- 
dfiils  of  Travel  in  I'l'iilral  Anui- 
ica,"  3 IS,  37? 

"  S'lfWi  (if  Ancifiil    Miiininii-nls 

in  Ccniial  AnuMica,   ('liia|ias,    and 
Yntatan,"  330 

Straiio.  "  Cieof^raphy,"  fio,  514 
SikACllI  V,  "  llisliirieuf  Travaili-  into 

Virginia  Itriiannia."  i()3 
SiROM'K.  "  IU'|iL'ri()ire  l'lir(iniiliiL;ii|iic 

lie  r    Hist,  lies    Miiiind    liuildi-rs," 

('(111^.  (Ics  Aineric,  1(^7 
SUMNKR  fl'i.if.  \V.  C),  Ko)th   Amcri. 

titit  Kf.if:,',  52! 
Swallow  (I'rof.),  "  Uoport.   IVal.tidy 

Mils,"  104,  13S,  4S2 


rur.itisroK/c  .■ia//:a'/c.4. 

"  Itdilii.d    Hi 


Swi.NKI'oKD.  "  Kevii-wiif  the  M.nfi.il 
Ucs<'iirci's  i)f  Lake  Superior,"  1S76 
17H 

Si.  JikoMK.  "  llier.  Ojiera,"  fio 

iKNot  II I  ITI.AN     (City    (if      Mexico), 

funnilaiKHi  of,  1 1 
TK.RNMX    ('(IMl'ANS,      "  Nolico    Hist. 

snr  la  (lUy.me  !■  iaii.,aisc,"  10,  13,S 
TK.fozoMoc       {V.        de      Alv.ucdo), 

"('liron.  Mixicina,"  285,  i;S7,  291, 

308,    31  M) 

"  Hist.  Mex,"  358 

TllKViNoi,     "  Kt'l.ilion     i!l'      I  livers 

\iiy,ij.;i's  ( 'iiiicnx,"  254 
Tiii'KMAN  "  l."i.ini.i  Ihii.niniia,"  514 
Ttii'l.N  \RI»,  "  liiill.  Sdi'.  Aiitli.,"  4()<) 

in  AVr'.  ,/".//////.,   3 

TdRi.iii  MAiiA,  "  Mon.  Indiana."  264, 

277,  27'>,  2S2,  2.S?,  2S8,  2()0,  2()I, 
2')7.  .3i>'>.  3<>2,  .31)1),  310,  312,  313, 
358,  3I1O,  361,  3()4,  380 
"I'll*  nlainms  do  .Aiiiii^ui'd.nlcs 
I'ciiianas  pidiliiala-  il  Ministniu 
de  iMiinenlo,"  .Madrid,  l8;i(,  3,S8 
Troi^Kiiic    I'cn^,    lies   .AniL'iicaiiistes, 

5"7 
Tvi.dK,  "  .\nahiiar,"  351),  352,  358 

I'lii.M.SN  (Ma\K  "  Handlmtli  dir  i^c— 
.iiniiMi  .l!i;)  plisclu-n  Allii  iliiiin- 
skiinde."  321 

Uricdciki. \,  "Mini,  sdhre  li,  .\n. 
liynedades  Ni'o.(ir.inadin.i>,"  4  =  1) 

Vaca    (l!alii'i,a  di),     "  <,iuarta    kila- 

cidii,"  21M) 
V'ai.kmim'.,  "  The   Katuiusdf  Maya 

Hisidry,"  2()i 
"  Vflaiiid     veidadfira      dos       traliaU 

lios  (|nc    111)  j^dliernador  don     I'er- 

nando    de    Solo    ft     terlos   lidalj^os 

l'i)iiii^(.'-d-,     jiassaraoiid      dcsiiiliri- 

niii'iild  d.i  jiruvincia  <\.\  I'lutida."  80 
Vi;m;i;as,  "  .N'oiiii  i  de  la  Califoiiiia  y 

de  s\i  ( 'iintiuisla."  7S 
\'i:i  ANi  iirr,     "  Teairo     Mexicaiio," 

2S4,  2()7,  314 

"  Irnnna,"  231; 

Vkyiia,  "  Hisi.  ant.  do  Mcjico,"  261, 

277,  282,   283,   2S5,   288,   302,  jo8, 

3fi4,   3S0 
VioMet  le  l»uc,  3fi5 
ViMiiM  (ll.-.rtli.  (Ic),  "  Relation,"  fi2 
V()i;r  (C),  "Si|iiideile  liuiiiain  assotii- 

aiix  ^;lypl.iddnli's,"  477 
V()\  DiiiKN  (lianin),  "f.long.  prili.ik 

C(i|)enliaf;iie,"  494 


1 


Mil 


^- 


T 

r 


r 


A\7V:.\'. 


Vov,  "UcIicsoftWStoMr.V.-inCal. 
il'iiiii.i,     •(() 

Wui/  (I'.;.   IM.  "Antl.ro|M,loBu.,k.r 
•Niiiiiv(,lkfi,'\(W, 

NVuiiKiK,  "Vny,  aich.  CI  piuorcsauc 

"laiK  h  |in.viiicc<lii  Vuuil.in,"  31H 

.IKi.  320,  324,  335,  33,s. 
Wakiha,   ••KoiIkrIks  sur  lesAni. 

>l^'  1  Am.  (ill  N„i,l.  Ami.  M,x.."  360 
^^^-^  (K.  I'.).  //V.r/,v7/  /:,:■/,;,,  pg 
\Mliril.i,  "  kc|.(,ii  aiMl  i;x|,l„rnlions 

'if.ii  iIk-  3i;ih  I'.iralltl,"  2U() 
NVlllI'l'II',      1:\\|;a.\K,    ami     TlDNlK, 

"  l\L'|iort  ii|i(iii  iho  Iiiclinn  Triljt-  ''' 

^Vlllll,  "<)nArli(inalSlu'l|.|Ican-,  „f 

lii'>li.\V-'i'r  M()llll^ks"  5() 
Wmi.M-.Y,  "AiitifiT(tii«(;iavcls"  533 

Willi  II  isi.v  ((■,,!),  "Am.,  of  SlailU 
loiiiul  near  l.niii.villc,  KiiiiiuKy,"7.| 

"  Aiuitni   .Miiijiiu  nil  ihu  .S|i,)ii.s 

of  I,:,kc  Su|irri()r,"  178 

■ — -  " 'riic     dual    Mdiiml    .111    ilic 

KU)«ali  Kivii,"  i(i() 
— —  "  Ki'|).  .'\ni.  As^.,"  jj;!) 

"Oiiilic  WiMpon^aiiiK'haraclcr 

•  if  lllc    .Milllllil    IllllMlTs,"  l)\ 

WllMU.  (Clins.),  "  l':siiiiIo>  solirc  los 

s.iiiili.ii|iiis  ilo  Mil  (III  lin/il,"  53 
"IVroii   I't    ISdlivii-,"  3SS,    3(j(), 

406.431.  4-41.  44"! 
\Vii,Ki:s,  ••  U.   S.    Mxpliiiini;  li.xpiMli. 

linn,"  3()3 
\Viisi).v,  ••  I'n-liistiiiit  Man,"  34,  490, 

503,  504.  511 
\V\  M  \N  (J.lliio),  "Kri'sli-\Vaii;rSlicll- 

lliMp^  iif  lilt  .St.  IdIim's  kivor,"  57 
"  lliiiiiaii   ki'iiiiiiis  ill  ihe  .sIr'II- 

Heaps  of  ihc  .Si.  Jolm's  Kivit (l'!ast 

I'IiiikI  1)  caniiilialism,"  5S. 

"  Ki'p.,  .\in.  ;\'-Mii'.,"  4S7 

"  k.|"iil,  I'lMJioily  .Milsi.'iliii,"4i), 

(il,  fi4,  ()7,  4S7,  4i>i,  4()3,  509 

.\ki;i;s  (I'M,    "  Kil.  tic   la  c:oiii|.  .!ii 
rumi,"  31)1 

Va'II;s  (!)r.),  "  Siiiiili^oni.iii  Kcpcirl," 

Zam<ii;\,    "Ilisl.    (!c    la    I'rov.    ilcl 

NiRvci  KciiKi  (Ic  (iranaila,"  41); 
Zkiiai.i.iis  (Dr.)  A'i-7:  d'AiilliitfoiOi^iv, 

"I'll      'Iiiimilus     palii.'.UiriiHK' 

<lo  liiiciuKS  Ayics,"  54 


563 


!  J'.l'KAii ,   ■•  II..,.  .1,1  I,o.cul,rimiento 
y  <  iMiipiMa  <lc|  I'lTii  "  422 
/.I'kiiA  (A.    (If),    "U.ipp,.,i    sur   les 
'lilkiciit(;s   ilassrs   .k.  tlicfs   .Ic    la 
•Ninivillc  Kspatjiic,"  315 


Kc(l  River  Moiin.l,  plaiycncmic  lihiic 

from  493. 
--—  Skulls  from  485,  487 
h'/iiiiiudvs  liJicrinus,  15 
/'.  ilnisi IIS,   1 5 
kii)  CaKaraiia  (I'.iiciios  A\rcs),  Imman 

lioncsaii.l   ilinsc  di  cxiiii.  t  animals 

(Ml  I  lie  lior.lcrs  of,  28 
kio  ilii^  ■rromliftlas  (or  Orixam-na), 

fr,i<;mcii'      '  p.iii.iy  ,,n^  4yj 
kio  (Ic  Cl'vi  ;..     lilf  In, Uses  aloiij;,  218 
ki.)  .Ic  hi  I'll. a,   paia.lcros  in  Tcion 

of,  54 
Kio  ''ne  (lirr.ll],  ilnuvii  •  ,  on  bank 

of   .iO(j,  470 
kill  I'lias,  par,'  Icru'.  .if  tin-,  54 
kio  liiiliipila,  '  ati'licl  fi.im  llic,  22 
km  j.iijaii.  pai   .icros  ..f  ihc.  C4 
Kio  Mantds,   uicicnt  ruins  aiont;,  208, 

21') 
kill  MaiLd-Di.    ,  paradcros  of  the,  54 
km  Nor/as(|)iiiaiii;o,  Mcxi'i^),  mum- 

niirs  fimii  cave  in  valley  ol,  Oij 
kio  Sala'lo,  mills  of  the,  224 
ki'i  \'enlc,  iiiiiis  .if  llic,  224 
koads  I  if  I'crii,  421 
k.i.il  River,  iiu niiuls  on,  S7 

Saliula  (Iowa),  sliell-lieaps,  56 

Sail  Cave  (Kenlutky),  distovcrics  in, 

75 
Saml)a(|iiis   in    lliazil,    53,    55;    iheir 

M/.L-.  53.  54 

at   Tapcrinlia,  5(1 

Sanily-Wod.ls    setllcmciit    (Missniiri), 

iiioiiiuls  al,  (;5 

pottery  at,  13(1 

San    l':'.lilo  (Califiiinia),  slicll-licap,  50 
Sanl.i  ('alalin,i(i>laiiil  of),  ancienl  Miap- 

Miiiic  ipian V  on,  1 1 

skulls  ill  ihc  sliell-lieaps  of,  4S1 

Santa   C'allieiina,   cniiiplcxiou    nf   the 

iiilialiitaiils  nf  the  islaml  of,  in  the 

161I1  cenliiiy,  3 
Santa    I.iicia  ('o.siiinliu.ilpa,   niins  at, 

371 

Santa  kosa,  shell-heap,  48 

Saniareni    (prnviiKc    of    I'ara),    frat;- 

ineiits  of  pottery  near,  473 
Saiitiai;.!- Tlatelolenli,   resciiiiilancc  of 

skiilN  frmii,  to  those  of  the  Moiiiul 

BiiiMcrs,  51x1 


/ 


■■ 


•JW^ 


rA'E-/ns  roKic  a  mekica. 


Saratoga  (Now  York),   disiovirics  at    |  Swnnton  (Vermont),  copper  pipe-stems 


lliyii  Kock  Spriiij;,  74 
Sarcopliaj^i    mar    'rreiitoii,    MisMHiri, 

114 

ill  'rciine>^oc  numiuls,  115 

Scandiiiavinn     imploiiicnls,   tlicir     rc- 

scmlilaiu'c  to  llu)>c'  fiom  tlu'  islands 
of  ti:u  Sus(iut.'liai)iia.  21 

Scioto  skull  (idiii  (liillKotlic,  4S() 

Sciil|>tiircs  amoii;:;  tlic  Miiimd  liuildcrs, 
soe  under  "  I'oiicry,"  etc. 

Sell/crtown,  mound  at,  103 

Serpenl  ii\  AMurican  mvlliolot^v,  \iU, 
127 

Shaw'.s  I'lat  (Cal.),  (iniaiiicnls  of  talc- 
spar  and  granite  11101  lar  from,  39 

Shell-heaps,  .,ee  "  Kitehen-niiddens  " 

of  Orej;on  ami  (.'alifoiiiia,  skulls 

in,  4S0 

list  of  spofies  found  in  shell- 
heaps  of  Maine  and  .Massachiisells, 
535  ;   in  Iowa,  530 

ShellerCa\e,  near  lihri.i,  ( I.orain  Co., 

Ohio).  71 
Shell  ornaments,  sec  "  Ornainenis  " 
Slioii's  (,'ave(KentiKky),niiiiiimy  in, 7(1 
Sinniniari    kiver    (tiuiana),    jiolidied 

sloue  hatehelsfrcjMi  the  hanks  of,  27 
Silver  Spriii!,' (I'lorida),  shelMieap,  57 

its  ai;e,  67 

Skulls,    table    of    ea|iacily    of    Mound 

IJudders',  41)0  ;  ol   iho>eof  modern 

races  (To]>iiianrs),  491 
Small-))ox,    its   ilestiuciive    effeet    on 

the  Indians,  51)6 
Smilodon,    found    fossil    i,,    i;r.i,.|l    i.^- 

I.nnd,  :ti 
Sonora  (L'al.i,  stone  iinirlemeiils  near. 

Solo,  island  of,  410 
Spaniards,  disco\eries  and    coiicpiests 
,  I'y.  1,2,4,7,8 
Si^arla   (  Teunessie),    human     remains 

eiu  losed  in  rush  liaskets  near,   114 
Scpiirril,    veneration  of  the,    in   \'.in- 

couver's  Island.  8 
St.  .Acheul,  re-enil>lame  of  its  j.aleo- 

lithic  implements    to    those    of    the 

Delaware  valley,  2u 
St.     Andrews    (Cal,),     stone     mortars 

from,  39 
St.  I.ouis  (Missouri),  mounds  near,  86 
Siimpson's   mounil  skull,   lomparisun 

Willi  the  Neanderthal  skull,  4S3 
Stivmbtis  ,i,'ii,',is,  1 72 
Sui^uassii    River    (ISrazil),    samhatp.is 

with  human  relics  on  lianks  of,  1:3 
SiiMpu'hanna  Kiver  cave,  72 


from,  165 

cop|)er  liihes  in  mouiid.s  at,  160 

tone  orna  iicnts  from,    174 

Swastika,  the  sacred  sijjn  of   the  Ar- 
yans,   on    the    I'cniliertoii  hammer, 

•"■•  •"4 

Syphilis,  is  it  native  to  America?  507  ; 
anioni;  the   .Mound  liuilders,  507 

Tabasco,  battles  near  the  mouth  of  the 

river,  2 
'I'.able   Mountain  (Cal.),  stone   mortars 

from,  3() 
'raeuba,  resemblance   of  skull  -   from, 

to   those   of    ilie    .Mound    Uuildersj 

500 
Tahiti,  cannibalism  at,  <)3 
Tajieiinlia,   discoveries   of  pottery  at, 

■472 

samlinijuis  at,  56 

Tchungkee,  game  of,  l()o 
reehicliis,  the  dog  of  Mexico,  3 
Tecuhtli,  initiation  of  the,  315 
reliuantepec,   lecent    discovery   of   a 

sepulchie  at,  361) 

pyramids  near,  355 

Tehuelchc  ( Patagonia),  10 
skulls  from  I'.itagonia  cemeteries 

presenting  marked  deformation,  511 
Tennessee,  caves  as  burial-places,  U) 

mounds  in,  ()i 

inonnds  at  (Ireenwood,  94 

inouiiils    in     the    v.illey     of    the 

Cumberland,  106 

adobe  altar  in,  107 

human    lemains   in  rush    baskets 

near  Sparta.  114;   nearCairo,  114 

excavations  near  .Nashville.  115 

sepulchral     mound  i    near    .Nash- 
ville, 115 

v.ise  in  child's  grave,  I45 

vase    with    handles    from    se]nil- 

cliral  mound,  147 

pottery    in     sepulchral     mounds, 

isi 

pipe  from  sipulchra!  mound,  152 

"  l,ear"-sha|)e(l  \ase  from,   154 

—  stone  images  in   the  moniids,  of 
167 

copper  ornaments  from   mounds 

of,  172 

shell  ornament  fnmi,  173 

copper  cross   in   grave   in    /.olli- 

coffer  Hill,  176,   177 
seven-fool    skeleton    from    s'.one. 

grave,  4()(i 

—  cross  from  mound  in,  17(> 


t 


I 


INDEX. 


t 


Tenochlitlan,  foundiiiK  of.  28.; 
Ie|)anecs  (ihe),  , ,       "  = 

Tierra  .lei  F.ug,,.  slull-hcaps.  47 
-  cannihalisn,  am(,nt;st  the   iril.cs 

Tful,  haldnt  from  near,  22 

skull  from,  4(jij 

Tezciians  (ihe),  281 
Tezcue.),  288,  360 
Tiafjuanaco,  ruins  of,  400 

l'«oi,  veneration  of  the,  in  Honduras, 

7 
■I'ijuco  (lirazill,    inscription   on  rocks 

ol,  470 
Tin,  amongst  (he  Mexicans   381 
liluaca,  islan.lin  lake  Titi'cca    the 
sacre.l  i.lan.loftlic  I'cruvi.uis,  406  • 
the  l.nlhplace  (,f  Manco-Capac  an;! 
(Kilo,   407  ;  ruins  on,    4.7  ;  Imikl- 
"iK^   erected    l.y   Tupac-Tupan(|iii, 
the  eleventh  Inca,  408 
Tilicaca     Lake,    cluilpas   near,    420; 

near  Tiuhuani,  426 
Tiuluiani  (I'eiu),  cluilpas  near,  426 
Tiilan    or    Tula,    the   capital    nf    the 

1  oltecs,  12 
Toliecs,  the,  12,  271  ;  concpiered  Ana- 
huac  al)out  the  sixth  century  of  our 
eia,  271  ;  (,)uct/acoatl,  274  ;  re- 
lij^iou^  wais,  274;  characteiisti'cs  of 
the  Toliecs,  275  ;  llieir  kuoivlcdi^e 
of  Ihe  Useful  arts,  27(j ;  their  com- 
mercc,  27(1 

their    jewelry    and     ornaments, 

^~b\  iheir  weapons  and  armor, 
277  ;  cremation  practised  among  the 
higher  classes,  hut  the  dead  o"f  the 
common  people  were  Iniricd,  277  ; 
human  sacrifices,  277 ;  govern- 
ment, 278  ;     marriage  custom,   27S 

■ traditions  ofilie  magnificence  of 

iheir    palaces,    27S ;   couciiiercd    by 
the  (liichimccs,  2S  \ 
'I'oiileshi, rough  (Iowa),   alleged   South 

Ameiican  shell  in  moiimi  at,  113 
Topiiiaid    (Dr.),    Table   showing   ca- 
pacity   of   skulls    of  modern  laces, 
49" 

perforation  of     the  humerus   as 

a  racial  characteristic,  41J5 
Trenton  (\.  J.),  pai.eolithic  imple- 
ments in  the  drift  near,  20 
'l"repaiined  skulls  fiom  ^■ucay  valley 
(I'erii/,  sCX)  ;  from  Sable  and  Red 
River  mound-,  ami  from  mounds  in 
Michigan,  510;  ti  jiaimiug  ei;ly 
practised  on  adult  males,  510;  tre- 
panned skulls  in  Kurojie,   510 


565 


Troano  manuscript,  379 
Tula,  ruins  of,  355 
Tunga  (1-eru),  ruins  near.  461 
I  up,,  see  "  (aiarani  " 
Tupis,   the,  inhabit  lirazil,  9 
lurtlf    mound,   a    shell-heap     near 

Smyrna,  48  ' 

Tiomes,  the  dog  of  Yucatan,  3 

United  Slates  of  Colombia,  the  an- 
cient state  of  Cundinamarca  and 
the  home  of  the  Chibchas,  459 

on  Its  /■liiifrii-iniiis.  4 

Uistts  /(W.i  (griz/ly  jiear),  4 

Uruguay,  inscriptions  of,  not  attributa- 
ble to  the  Guaranis.  471 

— —  wenp.ms  and  imjjlements,  4-5 

Utah,  mounds  in,  83 

sepulchral  mounds  in,  116 

pottery    in    .sepulchral    mounds. 

•51 

ancient  agricultural  implements, 

171 

discovery  of  corn  in  a  mound  of. 

Uxmal,  ruins  of,  333.  334 

Vancouver  Island,   veneration   of   the 
.s(]uirrel  in,  8 

sliell-hea])s,  52 

mcumds  in,  S3 

Veneration  of  anin-.als,  7 
Vermont,  ancient  pottery  in,  136 

large  vases  from,  155 

copper  pipe  stems  from  Swanton, 

stone  ornament  from  Swanton, 

174 

Vera  Cruz,  deformed  statuettes  from, 

512 
Vilcaliamlia,  megaliths  of,  424 
Virginia,  caves  as  buiial-places,  C9 
sepulcliial  mound  at  Grave  Creek, 

116 
■  pipe  from,  105 

shell    ornaments     fronj     Grave 

Creek  mounds,  172 

shell  pin  from  l-!ly  mound,  174 

\'otan,  legend  cmicerning,  264 

Washington  'territory,  mounds  near 
Olyuipia,  106 

Weapons  of  ihe  aborigines,  16  ;  (see 
"  Weapons  of  the  Mound  Hiiilders  ") 

Weapons  of  the  Mound  lUiilders,  169  ; 
serpentine  axes  from  Ohio,  i()9, 
170;  serpentine  imidement  from 
'I'ennessee,   170;  the  Malujuahwitl. 


566 


PRE-IIISTORIC  AMERICA. 


170;    flint    instrument    from    New 

Jfr-.oy,  171 
Weapons  of  Mound  IJuiklers,  copper 

iKilclict  nt  SwaiUon,  175;  knifcand 

lance  ]ioinL  in  Wisconsin,  175,  17(1 ; 

siiarp  blauj  at  jolict  (Illinois),  175; 

knife  al  I'Oit  \Vayiic  ^Indiana),  175; 

L-opper  axes  in  Imva,  177 
WeNlei"  mound,  skull  ficnn,  4S5 
Wisconsin,  mounds  in,  82 
ruins  of  Azt.ilan,  on  Rock  River, 

92 
nietliiuls    of    Inirial    aniotiL;    the 

Mi.und  UuiKiers,  1 14 
mounds  on  ihe   Kickapoo  Uivcr, 

loS 
■ chief    centre    of   mounds    reprc- 

sentiui;  animals,  123 
auinial-sliaped  mounds  at  I'ewau- 

kce,  123 


Wisconsin,  animal-shaped  mounds  in, 

126 

cross-shaped  mounds  in,  I2g 

eopiier  weapons  from,  175,  176 

Wyoming,  stone  implements  at  Cow's 

Creek,  40 

Xochiealco,  352 

Xulos,  the  dog  of  Nicaragua,  3 

\'ellowstonc  River,  mound  city  on,  l8t> 
\'ucatan,  mounds  in,  82 

the  cross  in  (he  native  tcmplesof, 

170  (see  also  "  Central  America"). 

Znninn,  the  god,  348 

Zapotecs    the,    3G2  ;    language,    3f)3  ; 

leligions    rites,    363  ;    government, 

363  :  Mitia,  364. 
Zayi,  ruins  at,  340 


i 


"  > 


•^ 


B. 


